Some Things You Can't Go Back To
by anneikenskywalker
Summary: This is the next installment following the end of 'Lies My Brother Told Me' and picking up the AU story line for Season 4. Original family ties are tested, new friendships and alliances are made and Elena, not only must choose whether or not to complete the transition, but must also decide where her heart truly lies. Elena/ Elijah/Originals/ with special appearances
1. Chapter 1

**_(( To my patient readers-BLESS YOU for waiting so long. Not only did I run into time constraints, but I also was unsure really how I wanted to set this next installment up. I know alot of you have enjoyed reading this saga from Elijah's perspective, but I felt that since some of the situations get more complex as the story continues, we need to see it from more perspectives. This is also going to be AU-at least until Season 4 starts up and then we'll see where it goes from there-and it's going to have an appearance from just about every main character in TVD. There will still be Elena/Elijah heavy moments in this story as they are still my central characters with things just happening around them. Enjoy))_**

"This is the last call for the 9:45- leaving Suffolk for Richmond, Virginia," a woman with a sickeningly sweet southern accent announced over the loud speaker, "All passengers please have your boarding passes ready to be scanned when boarding. Thank you for traveling Greyhound Bus Lines."

This was it.

No going back.

No one was coming—not Elijah, not Kol, not Misha and definitely not Nik.

She was completely on her own and for the first time in her life, _free_—though she had bought that freedom with a terrible price.

Rebekah bit her lip to keep herself from shedding more tears as she wiped her face quickly with her hands and pushing herself off the trunk of the large oak tree she had been leaning on in the front lawn of the bus terminal, reached down and picked up the duffle bag at her feet, slinging it over her shoulder with one last glance.

When she still saw nothing and no one to stop her, she closed her eyes and exhaled a breath to steel herself.

Then she pulled her ticket from her jacket pocket and walked toward the waiting bus.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

After the previous night's events, his fight with Rebekah and the phone call from Stefan about Elena, Elijah suddenly found himself both physically and emotionally drained.

After he hung up with Stefan, he went back into the house and sauntered quietly up the stairs, leaving Misha to tend to Kol.

When he made it to his bedroom, he closed the door behind him, lowered the shades and turned out all of the lights.

He shed his clothes and took a shower in the dark in the adjoining bathroom.

When he emerged, he threw on a white v-neck t-shirt and jeans from the pile of "normal clothes" that Misha had left for him on a nearby cedar chest and collapsed on the bed, pulling one side of the comforter over himself.

He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep, his mind was still racing.

But it was nice to be alone in the darkness and the quiet stillness it provided.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

Damon rubbed his tired eyes as he walked a dazed path to the liquor cart in the den of the Salvatore boarding house.

He pulled a glass from the shelf below and poured himself a whiskey sour.

Just as he took a drink, he heard the door to one of the upstairs rooms slam hard.

He closed his eyes and flinched at the sound as he lowered himself onto the leather couch, twirling the tumbler on his knee as Stefan sulked down the stairs and into the den.

"Well, that sounded like progress." Damon smirked, "At least she's opening the door now."

"To bark orders at me, then tell me that she doesn't want to eat _or_ sleep and that she wants me go away." Stefan said with a raised eyebrow as he took a seat on the couch next to Damon and let his head fall back on the cushions.

"At least she didn't slap you like she did me—_now that's_ what I call progress." Damon said as he offered Stefan his drink.

Stefan scoffed as he sat up, "That's because you flat out told her that you wanted her to turn."

Damon's face fell as his eyebrows furrowed, "What can I say? I freaked out, _alright?_ I know I shouldn't have said what I did, it was rash and stupid of me— I just—" Damon lowered his voice as he looked down, "I just can't bear the alternative…can you?"

Stefan's face contorted in confusion and pain as he fell back on the sofa, exasperated, bringing his hands over his face.

"I don't know" he replied honestly through his fingers, "All I know is that I don't want to lose her."

"Me neither," Damon said in a soft voice as he threw back a shot, "Even if she _did_ _choose you." _

There was a silence that hung in the air for a moment before Stefan sat up and placed a reassuring hand on Damon's shoulder before taking the drink out of his brother's hand and throwing back the last of the whiskey in the tumbler.

"She's just in shock right now," Stefan said as he swallowed, resting the empty glass on the arm of the sofa, "She's confused, sad and angry all at once. We've been there, remember? We just have to give it some time. She'll come around."

Damon just let out a small sigh as he stood from couch.

"Or she'll be the martyr like she always is and let herself die." He whispered as he left the room.

# # # # # # # # # #

Elijah had just felt himself finally start to drift off into some sort of sleep when he heard his bedroom door open and sensed the lights flick on as something or someone big jumped onto the bed next to him.

"Elijah..." Misha's voice chimed in a mimick on the other side of the comforter, "This is your conscience speaking… come out and face your problems like a man instead of burrowing yourself in Egyptian cotton..."

Elijah let out a sigh and threw the comforter off of himself.

"Well, _hello, there_!" Misha smiled, sitting cross legged next to his friend, "Are we feeling better after our little tirade? Did the shower help? You know, I _love_ the showerhead in that bathroom, it's very relaxing."

Elijah furrowed his brow, "Don't mock me, Misha."

"Mock you?" Misha scoffed, "You're the one who shattered my front door and a set of French doors that were actually _from France._"

"I'm sorry about that," Elijah lamented as he sat up

"The doors and the lamps? _Please_! I'm more worried that you're sorry about what you did to your brother and your sister, Attila the Hun. That entrance was _legendary_ by the way. I forgot that you even still used that little party trick with the rocks-"

"I don't want to talk about it," Elijah murmured as he moved to the edge of the bed

"Well, _you_ don't have to talk about anything," Misha said as he grabbed Elijah's shoulder, "You just have to listen to what _I_ have to say on the subject."

Elijah rolled his eyes, "I don't need a lecture, Misha—"

"Oh, it won't be a lecture," Misha said as he slid to Elijah's side and patted his knee, "It's going to be _better _than a lecture. You see, I'm going to tell you exactly what to do to fix your problems and you are going to listen _while _we fix my doors. It will be the perfect metaphor for your situation—_we_ are going to fix something _you _broke, _together_."

Elijah raised an eyebrow as Misha turned to face him.

"So, how are you with a hammer?" he smirked at the original

"I can still hold my own." Elijah smiled, "How about you?"

"My hammer is pink and has been in the attic since I got it last Christmas."

"Okay... how about _I_ do all the hammering and you just talk?" Elijah suggested with a chuckle

Misha nodded as he put an arm around his friend's shoulder, "Good plan."


	2. Chapter 2

"Damon, wait," Stefan called as he walked out of the den after his brother.

Damon stopped at the bottom of the grand staircase, turning back and staring at his brother, folding his arms across his chest with a reluctant look.

Stefan took a measured breath as he approached his brother at a slow pace, "Listen, I know you are upset and you don't want to hear this but—"

Damon narrowed his eyes as he took a step down, sensing the meaning his brother's voice, "But, what?"

Stefan closed his eyes, "_But_ I don't think that we are what or even _who_ Elena needs right now."

There was a silence as Damon processed this.

Stefan opened his eyes and took in another breath.

"Elena asked me to call Elijah."

Damon's nostril immediately flared and his arms dropped to his sides as he took another step down.

"Damon—"

"Are you _crazy_?" Damon spat angrily

"It's Elena's decision," Stefan straightened, standing his ground as his brother scoffed, angrily shaking his head as he turned back and began to climb the stairs, but Stefan moved forward quickly and with vampire speed blocked his path in the middle of the staircase.

"Look," Stefan said, placing hand on Damon's chest to stop him, "she won't listen to or talk to us, right now, but maybe she'll talk to him. In any case, she needs to talk to_ someone_, Damon. I don't necessarily like that it's him, either, but Elena still trusts him and he seems to care about what happens to her, so…"

"Stefan, it's not Elijah that worries me, it's those psycho siblings of his. He comes around and they follow, its like a package deal—"

"Elijah says they won't be a problem—"

"Well, that's what he said _last time_ and look where _that _got us!" Damon yelled, pointing up the stairs to the bedroom Elena was in.

"Look, he says it's under control now and I believe him. I really think it's over, Damon."

Damon's face contorted in silent rage for a moment before he shook his head.

"I will _never _believe him, those siblings of his are like vipers," he said, bringing his hands up to shoulder height and clawing the front two fingers on both hands up like fangs, "They lay low and then they_ strike_ right when you least expect it! Elijah's just the mongoose that keeps them under control."

Stefan stared at Damon incredulously for a moment as his brother lowered his hands and sighed, bringing his anger under control.

"Did you really just compare Elijah to a mongoose? Stefan asked with a raised eyebrow

"Did Elena _really_ ask you to call him?" Damon asked, rolling his eyes

"Afraid so," Stefan replied, crossing his arms over his chest

"Fine. When did he say he'd be here?" Damon sighed

Stefan shrugged, "He said on the phone that he had a family situation to deal with and that he couldn't get here until after sunset."

Damon smirked as he moved up the stairs past his brother, forming another set of viper fangs with the front two fingers of his left hand and sinking it into his brother's shoulder with a hiss, "I'm telling you…_vipers_."

# # # # # # # # # #

"Misha, just _stop already,_" Elijah rolled his eyes as he opened the passenger door of Misha's jeep and stepped out onto the driveway.

"I'm telling you, boy," Misha smiled as he turned the car off and opened his own door, "That checkout girl at the hardware store was totally doing all her 'checking out' on _you_."

"Stop!" Elijah laughed as he walked to the back of the jeep and lowered the gate, starting to pull out the replacement doors they had bought.

"I'm telling you," Misha teased as he came to Elijah's side, twirling his car keys on his finger before putting them in his jean pocket, "you should dress like the hot young thing you are more often. I like this rugged and casual, yet sexy, Elijah."

Elijah shook his head as he threw the new front door onto his shoulder and began walking up the driveway toward the house.

"Misha, I don't need a girlfriend—just _let it go_!" he called with a smile

"Never!" Misha called back with a laugh

Elijah turned back, "Are you going to be okay to get the last two doors? I'm going to go upstairs and wake up Kol and get him to help us. He needs this 'therapy' about as much as I do."

Misha closed his eyes and bit his lip, the guilt quickly flooding over his face.

"Elijah, wait." He said in a stern, but calm voice, causing the original to freeze on the front walk, his smile dropping instantly.

"Oh, God...Where is he?" Elijah asked, tossing the door aside onto the grass.

# # # # # # # # # #

Rebekah woke with a burning in her throat and blinked her eyes slowly as she looked down to her watch.

12:14 pm.

She rolled her shoulders as she sat up and looked around at the surrounding passengers on the Greyhound bus.

Most of them were reading, sleeping, listening to their IPods, playing games on their phones or computers or, like the teenage girl sitting in the seat next to her, staring out the window.

The sight of every one of them made her stomach lurch and she soon realized that it had been hours since she had fed.

Rebekah reached forward and grabbed her purse on the floor at her feet in which she had packed enough blood bags to get her to Richmond without causing a scene.

But it seemed her urges had other ideas.

Rebekah let out a light groan as she felt her eyes start to vein out and fangs protrude.

She was emotional and uspet and that was usually when her blood lust came out.

She flared her nostrils and took deep breaths, trying to keep her eyes from moving to the fresh blood—_correction_—the teenage girl sitting in the seat next to her.

Finally, she had to close them as she continued to breath and focus like Elijah had taught her all those centuries ago.

She could hear his voice in her mind at that moment...

"_You can control it, Rebekah. Close your eyes, breath steadily and will it to go away."_

"But I want to hurt somebody."

_"I won't let you. I'm right here. I won't leave you. Breathe." _

"I can't."

_"Yes, you can. Will it to go away. You are stronger than the hunger, Rebekah."_

"Elijah, I can't—"

"_Yes, you can…listen to my voice…" _

"Okay…"

"_Listen to my voice. Come back…Come back to me..." _

Suddenly, Rebekah felt calmer and continued to let out slow breaths as she felt her eyes begin to change and her fangs recede.

When she finally opened her eyes, she gave a small smile, almost expecting to see Elijah in front of her, but her smile faded when all she saw was the back of the seat in front of her.

"Hey…are you, okay?" the teenage girl asked, turning her head from the window, her blue eyes concerned,"You were talking and moaning and stuff."

"It—it was nothing. It was just a dream." Rebekah said, shaking her head as she quickly stood, swinging her purse over her shoulder as she started down the isle toward the bathroom at the back of the bus.

As she passed the last row of seats, an arm darted out quickly from the left side and caught her hand gently.

As she reeled back, she found her brother looking up at her.

"Kol." She whispered, a surprised smile moving slowly across her face.

"Got enough in there for two?" Kol smirked

# # # # # # # # # # #

"What do you _mean_, you let him go?" Elijah asked in shock, walking back down the driveway toward Misha.

"He woke up, I told him what happened with you and Rebekah and he just left—"

"And you let him?"

"Well, he's a vampire-" Misha stressed

"And you're a _warlock_!" Elijah shot back

"_A warlock_, yes," Misha said in a low voice, giving Elijah a hard look that said that he shouldn't yell out that his friend was a warlock in front of the entire neighborhood, "not the Hulk. You know that he physically is much stronger than me—you _all _are_. _And I don't fight with magic unless I have to. You know my rules."

Elijah turned and flopped himself down on the grass with a sigh, bringing his hands to his face.

"I can't believe this is happening…" he murmured

"What?" Misha asked as he sat down crosslegged beside his friend

"_All of it_." Elijah said in an exasperated voice, lowering his hands

"You knew that things would come to a head with Rebekah and Kol sooner or later. At least it was _sooner_, rather than _later_."

Elijah scoffed, laying back, shielding his eyes as he looked up at the sun.

"Besides," Misha sighed as he lay back next to Elijah, "You were just using them as an excuse to avoid what should be your main priority right now."

"And what's that?" Elijah asked in a low voice, turning his head to his friend

"Elena." Misha smiled

Elijah shook his head in disbelief as he turned away.

"Look, I know Stefan called you," Misha urged, "She wants you to go to her, doesn't she?"

Elijah closed his eyes for a moment, then relented an answer.

"Yes." He whispered

"Then what's your fine ass still doing here?" Misha asked, propping himself up on one elbow, "Kol and Rebekah will be _fine_. You've done all you can on that front for now."

Elijah made to speak, but Misha held up a hand to stop him.

"Just let it be. You _all_ need a cooling off period. You can deal with your siblings later, _that girl_ is the one that needs your help and your advice _now_. She is counting on you and you've just got to pull it together and _go."_

"But, what about Niklaus?" Elijah asked suddenly, sadly trying to think of something else to stall his inevitable visit to Elena, "Kol said that Bonnie Bennett—"

"Brought Niklaus' necklace to us," Misha retorted, "I kept it. It's upstairs. It doesn't mean he isn't still dead as a doornail, though the Salvatore Brothers still being alive is kinda freaky business. Again, _you_ don't worry about it. I'll check it out with my witchy feelers and if I find something I'll let you know…as long as you _get the hell out of here!_"

Elijah sighed as he sat up, bringing his hand to rest on his v-neck t-shirt over his heart.

His chest suddenly ached.

It was Elena.

Misha was right. He was using his family to stall going to her.

It wasn't that he didn't care.

He _did_ care—perhaps, more than he should.

But, what would he say to her?

What could anyone possibly say to make the situation she was going through seem better?

He knew he couldn't do anything either.

He couldn't change her fate—make it go away. This was the hand she was dealt.

He was still so upset and angry about it himself. How could he possibly help her through it?

He told himself he just wasn't ready, but perhaps, for Elena's sake, he would _have_ to be.

Elijah turned to look down at Misha still laying on the grass.

"Why don't we get these doors on and you give me that stellar pep-talk you've been raving about, _then_ we'll go from there?"

"Some days," Misha sighed as he watched Elijah stand up and make his way to pick up the door where he threw it, "I'd swear you were dropped on your head as a baby."

# # # # # # # # # #

Elena lay curled up in a ball at the end of the king size bed in Stefan's bedroom, staring at the wall across the darkened room where a large grandfather clock passed the time, it's hand turning to 3:47pm.

Stefan had closed the blinds for her around sunrise and for some reason, the loss of sunlight seemed to make what was happening to her all the more real, the darkness representing impending doom, much like the dwindling hours.

Elena lay as still as possible, trying not to move.

Surprisingly, her body was not in pain, but she couldn't say the same for her mind or her heart.

Her thoughts were scattered and so were her emotions.

She found herself not sure of anything anymore.

She knew that, since she learned what had happened to her the night before, Stefan and Damon were only trying to help, but somehow their hovering just made it worse.

Even Jeremy was getting on her last nerve and she finally sent him back to their house a few hours before along with Caroline.

She hadn't heard from Bonnie and honestly, she didn't want to.

The only person she truly worried about was Matt.

She hadn't heard anything on his condition.

Stefan had told her that he was alive and in the hospital with a severe head injury from the accident, but that was all.

There would be time to be with her friends-but right now it seemed like all they could give her was pitty and wait on her hand and foot like an invalid, waiting for her to make a decision.

And she didn't want that.

She had just contemplated closing her eyes and finally going to sleep, when there was a knock at the bedroom door.

Elena sighed and pulled the blanket closer around her, attempting to close her eyes, again.

"I told you, I'm not hungry, Stefan." She said softly, but she knew that with vampire hearing, he would hear it.

There was pause and then another knock.

"Stefan, please, just go away." she said, opening her eyes and turning her head toward the door.

Another persistent knock…

Elena inhaled sharply, throwing herself off the end of the bed, and wrapping the blanket around her shoulders as she walked to the door.

"Please, Stefan, _just go_." She begged

Elena leaned her forehead against the wood and listened as footsteps signaled Stefan's reluctant departure.

Though there was a part of her that felt guilty for turning him away, she took in a deep breath and turned back toward the bed.

But she only made it halfway across the room before there was another knock.

Elena furrowed her eyebrows and swiftly turned, throwing the blanket off her shoulders and onto the floor as she b-lined back toward the door.

"I _said _I wasn't hungry," she said as she threw the latch and hastily opened the door, "How many times do I have to say it before you believe it?—"

But before she could say anymore, she froze in her tracks, her breath catching in her throat, causing tears to form in her eyes when she realized that she wasn't talking to Stefan Salvatore.

"Are you _sure_ you're not hungry?" Elijah asked, revealing a plate with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on it from behind his back, "I'm a terrible cook, _but _I do make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

Elena still stood in stunned silence as Elijah pulled something else from behind his back with the other hand—her teddy bear from her bedroom.

"Come on…" he smirked softly with a raised eyebrow, "Mr. Bear gives it his seal of approval,"

Elena tentatively took the bear in hands, taking a moment to stare into its small face with a trembling lip before letting herself emotionally crumble as she walked into Elijah's arms and embraced him.


	3. Chapter 3

Damon sighed as he looked over his shoulder at the noise and excitement of the Mystic Falls Grill on Saturday night, then back to his brother, who was sitting on the bar stool next to him, twirling his scotch and soda.

"I don't understand why we couldn't be doing this at home where I have a very nice single malt scotch—"

"You mean where we could also be hovering and spying on Elena and Elijah's conversation with our vampire hearing?" Stefan countered

"_Maybe_…" Damon smirked sadly as he took a swig of his own drink

"Damon, look, like I said, I don't like this anymore than you do, but we have to let this play out. We owe Elena that."

"Well, if you ask me, she owes _us_—we're the ones that have been pulling her skinny butt out of the flames all these years and _now_, in her time of crisis, she would rather bear her soul to a total stranger than—"

"I don't exactly think she is bearing her soul, Damon. You know as well as I that this isn't about _talking, _right now."

Damon shook his head and finished his drink

"Damon, we've all been through it… even _you_. This is the hard part and I think she just wanted to feel safe with someone-"

"Again, I ask the question… why him instead of us?" Damon asked as he put down his glass, "Why does she have to do it with him? Why's older brother original so special? Is it the peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Because I could have made a _way better_ peanut butter and jelly sandwich than him!"

Stefan took in a breath, before downing the rest of his drink and signaling for the bartender to fill their glasses up again.

"It's not that, Damon," Stefan said, placing a hand on Damon's shoulder, "You're not seeing the big picture here. Think about it, Elijah is the _one person_ out of all of us—you, me, Bonnie, Matt, Jeremy—everyone who cares for Elena—he's the only one who has ever cared, not just about her, about what _she wants._"

"_You _care about what she wants. You let her make her own decisions…" Damon pointed out, then rolled his eyes and shrugged, "the _wrong ones_ by the way, but hey, who's judging?"

"True," Stefan retorted, "But it doesn't mean that I really ever cared about what she wanted, it just shows that I respect her enough to hold my tongue about it. If I didn't, I fully admit that I would be exactly like you, making the tough decisions to keep her safe, whether she liked it or not."

Damon smiled slightly, "So it's genetic. That makes me feel better."

"She loves us Damon—" Stefan started, but Damon interrupted as the bartender finished pouring his drink and he downed it

"_No_, she loves _you_…she told me," He said in a low voice, narrowing his eyes as he lowered the glass hard onto the counter

"_No,_" Stefan countered diplomatically, "She loves _us_…"

Then he paused as he looked his brother over, before downing his own drink in one swallow, almost as if steeling himself for what he had to say next because it pained him to admit it.

"But, she _needs him_, Damon," Stefan said finally looking down into his glass, "He's not only the one person around here who listens to and cares about what she wants, but he's also the one person around here who doesn't want anything _from_ her. Can you or I say that?"

# # # # # # # # # # #

Elijah lay on the left side of the bed, propped up on several pillows, glancing out the bay window at the beauty of the sunset.

He let out a short sigh, then looked down to his arm still wrapped tightly around Elena's shoulders as she slept, her tear-stained face buried in his shoulder and her teddy bear in her arms wedged between them.

As she suddenly began to stir, Elijah moved the empty plate that once held the peanut butter and jelly sandwich from his lap and placed it on the bedside table before reaching down for the quilt at the end of Stefan's bed and bringing it over them.

He felt Elena take a deep breath against the chest of his white v-neck t-shirt, then start sobbing again.

It started off softly before becoming louder, her embrace around Elijah's torso tightening.

"I'm here…it's alright…" he whispered as he leaned down, kissing and stroking her dark hair with his free hand, trying to comfort her, but inside his own heart was breaking for her—for the anguish and pain she was going through.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons why he hadn't wanted to come to her in the first place, that he didn't want to remember this part.

Who would?

They had all once gone through it, too—himself, his siblings, probably even Katerina, Damon, Stefan and Caroline.

Elena had already cried for over three hours straight since his arrival, but Elijah knew that it would probably go on for hours more.

It all depended on the person.

He had cried for nearly three days, during which time, Finn never left his side.

He would patient, he decided, and remain by Elena's side now as long as she needed him-until her decision to turn or not was made.

But, this was the important part and Elijah Mikaelson knew better than anyone, that before you decide what your future will be, you have to be free to mourn who you were and what could have been.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

Caroline took in a sigh as she slid the key card into the hotel room door.

As the light turned green on the lock, it suddenly came to her that she couldn't go home again and that everything that had happened in the last twelve hours had been _real_.

It hit her like a ton of bricks, but Caroline bit her lip to suppress her emotions as she shoved open the door.

She didn't even take in the room or turn on the light as she shut the door behind her with her foot and tossed her bag and Tyler's onto one of the twin sized beds, before launching herself onto the other.

She lay there in silence for a few minutes, staring up at the ceiling fan as she let it all flood her mind—that Klaus was dead and by extension, Tyler, too, culminating in Rebekah retaliating against Elena, landing Matt in the hospital with critical injuries and Elena in transition.

Then, without warning, her mind went back to Klaus.

She suddenly found herself wondering if he had suffered in the end, when Alaric had killed him—when he had burst into flames…

And then, Caroline strangely found herself hoping that he _hadn't suffered_.

She quickly sat up and ran her hands over her face.

What was wrong with her?

She should be thinking of her friends right now—of getting out of town like her Mother and Mayor Lockwood had wanted—of Tyler dying…

_Tyler…_

She _should _be grieving for _Tyler_-_thinking_ about _Tyler_—_not _Klaus!

It wasn't that her heart didn't ache for Tyler, her mind suddenly reasoned to her, it did.

But, they had had their moment.

They had had a chance to say goodbye even for a few brief seconds and kiss each other one more time, even though it hadn't really been enough and he had pushed her away, choosing to die alone.

But, even now, somehow she found _closure_ in his death.

It would take a long time to get over, she knew, but one day she would.

She didn't get that kind of closure with Klaus.

She let out a frustrated scream as she threw herself back down on the bed.

Why was she feeling like this?

Why was she even mourning Klaus?

Klaus had been infatuated with her and she had indulged him a few times, sure, but her heart had _always_ belonged to Tyler. She hadn't really felt anything for Klaus except pity and sadness, right?

But, then suddenly, she remembered all those times her heart raced when he looked at her and she found that it was beating hard in her chest even now just thinking about him.

_God,_ she should be angry with Klaus for doing what he did to her—to her friends—all of it.

But, when she closed her eyes again, all she could see was his face.

It was smooth and perfect and almost kind at times, his green eyes searching hers…

She remembered the smell of his cologne…

How his arms felt around her the times they danced…

She remembered his voice—

Caroline's eyes immediately opened and she felt a tightness immediately grow in her chest.

His voice.

She couldn't remember the sound of his voice.

Why did that suddenly scare her?

She exhaled hard as the fear caused the blood lust to come rushing to her face, making it fade in and out of change as her mind continued to race.

Why couldn't she remember the sound of his voice?

Surely, it hadn't been that long since they had spoken… a day, perhaps?

Of course, Tyler had been the last one to—

Caroline suddenly turned her head to the twin bed beside her and Tyler's bag on the comforter.

She quickly stood and moved to it, unzipping the side pockets frantically until she found it—Tyler's Blackberry.

She took another unsteady breath as she turned it on and scrolled through the call history, finding Klaus' number.

Then she closed her eyes and swallowed back another lump of fear in her throat as she pressed the call button and brought the phone to her ear.

She knew Klaus was dead and that he wouldn't answer, but she knew there was a way to hear his voice…

And she was going to take it.

After a few moments and about seven rings, Klaus' voicemail finally picked up and she heard his accent on the other end.

"You've reached Klaus Mikaelson. Whether you are alive or undead, I'm not here…so leave me a message."

Caroline didn't even wait for the beep before she slowly lowered the phone from her ear, the tears coming faster than she had expected.

# # # # # # # # # # # # #

As he paced the cellar floor below the Lockwood Estate, Klaus suddenly felt a vibration in Tyler's jean pocket.

Confused and a little surprised, he pulled out his IPhone and looked down at the lit screen.

He had turned off his phone hours earlier, but he now saw there was a recent missed call from Tyler Lockwood

Klaus narrowed his eyes (well, Tyler's eyes).

Who would have Tyler's cell phone?

His face suddenly solemned as he realized that Caroline was a possibility.

Klaus' heart (or should he say, Tyler's heart) leaped at the thought that she might think of _him_…

Miss _him_…

But why would _she _try to call him?

For all she knew, he was dead.

And so was Tyler.

He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts.

It was probably just some freak thing…a misdial or something…he should let it go.

Suddenly, Klaus heard the cellar door open and immediately slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"Alright," Bonnie said as she descended the rickety wooden stairs where she had left him after the ritual, "I delivered the necklace to your siblings like you asked and did a spell to make sure you'll keep visiting Elijah in his dreams."

Klaus smirked as he watched her produce a large black duffel bag from behind her back and toss it on the dirt floor at his feet.

"I also brought what you asked for," she sighed, crossing her arms, "clothes, books, some blood and your drawing supplies. Gotta say, it was kind of weird going through your house, though I will note that you all are the cleanest vampires I've ever met."

"Three of us are OCD…" Klaus joked as he bent down and started unzipping the bag.

"Are you sure that Elijah will figure it out?" Bonnie asked skeptically, not exactly in the mood for jokes

Klaus paused and looked up to her, "He has to. He's the only one who can help me. I can't stay in this body forever."

"Well, if you're sure you want to do this, I'll head outside and put the 'lock on the door' so to speak," she said as she unfolded her arms and turned back toward the stairs

"Bonnie," Klaus said as he rose to his feet again, "Thank You again—"

"_Like I said_ _before_," Bonnie interrupted sternly, turning back to Klaus, her dark eyes flaring, "I didn't do it for _you_."

There was a pause as they stared at each other for a few moments, before Klaus finally nodded in acknowledgement.

"Are you sure you're alright with the combination?" Bonnie asked snarkily with a raised eyebrow

"Just as long as you spell it right," Klaus replied, then smirked, "…No pun intended."

Bonnie's face hardened she stepped forward, "Just so we're _clear,_ this is the last thing I do for you. When that door closes, I'm gone."

"Going back to your little friends, are you?" Klaus asked, cocking his head

"I don't know. I haven't decided. All I know, is that you are going to find your way back to your siblings and then you—_all of you_—are going to disappear for good...Right?"

"Yes. Yes. _God, yes,_" Klaus lamented, rolling Tyler's eyes, "Right now, you couldn't _pay me _to stay in the podunk little town any longer than I have to—everyone here wants to kill me."

Bonnie suddenly smiled, taking Klaus aback.

This wasn't a smirk or a snarky lip curl like he was used to when dealing with the Bennett witch, this, he realized was a true smile—a small one—but, genuine and…kind?

Klaus' mind continued to reel as Bonnie stepped closer and pulled a large, folded piece of charred paper from her back jean pocket and handed it to Klaus.

"Not…_everyone."_ she said softly, "I found this at your house."

Klaus' face fell as he found himself looking down at one of the sketches he had done of Caroline and later, thrown into the den fireplace.

"It would be a shame to let go of something so beautiful…" he heard Bonnie say as she turned on her heel and headed back toward the staircase.


	4. Chapter 4

_**((Okay, kids. This was by special request. One of you gentle readers wanted another scene between Klaus and Caroline-I'm not gonna name names:) Someone also asked for a music fic in this chapter. When I agreed, I went "ugh", the reader went "YAY!". LOL! So, here it is. ))**_

As Caroline made her way through Harper's Woods in the ight of the early morning sun, she still wasn't exactly sure what had compelled her to come back—she knew that returning to Mystic Falls was dangerous especially with the townspeople now alerted to what she was.

She stopped short of the stairs that led down to the cellar on the edge of the Lockwood property and took a deep breath.

She couldn't explain it. She was unable to sleep at all the previous night after she had called Klaus' voicemail to hear his voice.

She had just suddenly had this _urge_, this _feeling_—a feeling she couldn't shake.

Caroline wasn't sure what the feeling meant, all she knew was that it felt like Klaus was still there—his presence was still with her—surrounding her.

She didn't know why, but when the sun rose, she immediately felt the need for some additional closure with regard to the original everyone but her loved to hate.

She knew that Klaus body had burned up, but she thought that maybe if she went back to the Lockwood Estate to retrieve Tyler's body—seeing the collateral damage from Klaus' death and perhaps giving him a proper burial—might put the feeling to rest.

As she finally willed herself to descend the stone stairwell, she braced herself for the task ahead of her—coming face to face with the body of her dead lover—before attempting to open the large metal door at the bottom of the landing.

When she had plucked up the courage to grab the handle and pull, Caroline froze in shock. The door would not budge. Was it locked?

Was it stuck?

_Why won't it move?_ she thought to herself

She narrowed her eyes and pulled again, a light groan escaping her lips, but still nothing.

She stepped back for a few moments, then reached for the door handle again, this time pulling with both her human and her vampire strength.

Nothing.

She took another deep breath and pulled again—this time bringing her right boot and blue jean clad leg up to rest on the door to aide her efforts, giving her more leverage.

"Oh, My God!" she cried in exasperation as she flung back, releasing her hold on the door.

# # # # # # # # # # #

Klaus had removed his IPod earbuds and slowly brought himself to his feet, resting his pencils and sketchpad on the chair where he had been seated, drawing.

He was sure he had heard some commotion coming from the outside cellar door.

Surely it wasn't Elijah.

First, it was far too soon for his brother to have figured out the meaning of his messages and second, if it was his brother, he would have been smart enough to have figured out the spell to unlock the door by now.

Klaus hit the pause button on his IPod, shoving it into Tyler's jean pocket as he draped the buds around his neck and made his way cautiously up the wooden stairs, his eyes narrowing in curiosity as to the source of the noise.

He had heard the door give once last clang and a mumbled voice on the other side as he made his way through the tunnels, stepping through what used to be Tyler's holding cage during his transitions, before emerging at the entrance to the cellar and coming face to face with the Civil War era seven foot titanium door.

# # # # # # # # # # #

Caroline beat her fist against the door in frustration before turning and leaning back onto the door, closing her eyes and resting her head back against the metal.

# # # # # # # # # #

As Klaus moved closer to the door, he immediately felt a presence still on the other side of the door.

There was no heat signature—whoever was on the other side was _not human._

His curiosity peaked further, he leaned forward and rested his right hand on the center of the door, closing his eyes and taking a whiff of the air.

His eyes immediately snapped open.

The scent was familiar and it made his heart (Tyler's heart) race.

Caroline...

What was she doing there and _why_?

Klaus' mind raced as he thought of what this meant.

As much as he wanted to go to Caroline in that moment, he knew that Bonnie had spelled the door so that it could only be opened from one side—the outside.

And Caroline couldn't open the door if she wanted to because she was not the one who was meant to.

Klaus exhaled a defeated breath.

But, then, he heard movement on the other side of the door…

# # # # # # # # # #

Caroline opened her eyes quickly, her senses picking up a heat signature behind her back on the other side of the door.

She turned with vampire speed, trying to catch her breath and still her own racing mind as she placed her hand over where she sensed the heat signature—_a hand_.

She took another ragged breath, her mind and body in shock.

Someone was _in there_…

She couldn't quite come up with the possibilities right at that moment as to how someone could be down there—let alone alive and giving off a heat signature—but her mind, in it's grief, could only come up with two possibilities…

"Tyler?" she whispered, hopefully as she leaned closer to the door.

When there was no response, she closed her eyes in pain.

Caroline opened her eyes and blinked quickly

"Klaus?" she whispered in a trembled voice.

To her surprise, this time the heat signature—regardless of who or what it was—responded and Caroline saw and felt the heat signature of another hand come and rest on the door.

_**I know you wanna stay in bed, but it's light outside….**_

_**It's light outside…**_

_**You know I'm gonna stay right here….**_

_**Because you saved my life once…**_

_**You saved my life…**_

"I'm here…" Caroline whispered again as the tears started to come down her cheeks as she brought her other hand to rest over it.

_**And I'll try to get you up because it's beautiful outside…**_

_**And we'll fall…**_

_**But we'll try…**_

_**We'll do our best and I'll love you all the while….**_

_**Because you saved my life once… **_

Caroline smiled weakly as she continued to feel the presence behind the door, their hands seeming to touch through the metal forming a comforting and, somehow, familiar connection.

_**Because you saved my life once…**_

Then another head signature appeared before her—what looked like a forehead, resting against the door.

Caroline bit her lip and closed her eyes as she leaned forward, the tears still coming hard and fast as she brought her own forehead to the metal to connect with the soul on the other side.

_**Because you saved my life once…**_

# # # # # # # # # # # #

Elijah blinked, opening his eyes into the morning light that now poured through the window of Stefan Salvatore's bedroom.

He took in a shallow breath, before looking down to Elena, still asleep in his arms, her head nestled in the crook of his left arm.

_**I know you wanna rest your head… **_

_**And forget the night…**_

_**Forget the night…**_

Elijah smirked as he gently stroked her bangs from where they fell over her face, tucking them behind her left ear as he took in the soft features of her face.

_**You know I'm going to stay right here…**_

_**I'll sit by your side…**_

_**Sit by your side… **_

As he moved his hand away from her, he saw Elena's own long, delicate left hand, suddenly appear and catch it, gently lacing her fingers through his as they came to rest on his chest.

_**Because you saved my life once**__…_

A little shocked by the action, Elijah looked back down to Elena, but saw that she was no longer asleep, she was just gazing up at him with soft chocolate eyes, still slightly red from the crying she had done the night before.

_**Because you saved my life once…**_

After a few moments, a slow smile crossed her lips before she closed her eyes again and snuggled closer into his arm.

_**Because you saved my life once…**_


	5. Chapter 5

**((Hey all, sorry I haven't written in a while. Things have been a little crazy. Anywho, just had time for a short update. Hopefully, I'll be able to update soon. For now, enjoy this lovely piece of Klaroline for all my favorite Klaus/Caroline fans reading this fic))**

Klaus took in a steady breath as he leaned back on the cellar door, his sketch pad at his side, littered with the words he had just recently showed Caroline.

He had put _everything_ on paper—everything that had happened between him "dying" and the present moment, where they were sitting in silence on either side of a large metal door that neither one of them could open.

In a way, that door was a sick metaphor for everything that was happening.

Her, undoubtedly beautiful, if grieving and sad…

Him, not dead, but trapped against his will in her boyfriend's body...

And an Civil War era iron door that seperated them from any kind of true happiness, spelled to only open for the one person who wasn't here.

They wrote daytime soap operas with better plots than this, Klaus thought as he waited for Caroline to respond.

It had already been at least five minutes, but he knew from experience that dumping this much shocking information on someone could take days to sink in.

But, he was prepared to wait.

Hell, he would wait forever for her to speak, if it meant she just sat on the other side of the door and didn't leave him.

Finally, it happened.

She spoke.

And it was a lot sooner than Klaus had planned.

"Thank You for not using his voice." Caroline whispered from the other side as she too sat with her back against the door, staring out into the morning sun shining down on the forest.

She smirked when she saw Klaus' sketch pad slide back under the door and appear at her side.

_**You're welcome.**_

"I'm glad you didn't answer your phone, either, that would have just _totally_ freaked me out." Caroline said as she watched the sketchpad disappear back under the door.

Klaus felt his heart (well, Tyler's heart) suddenly flutter at her words.

So, it was _her_ that had called him earlier.

He immediately felt a warm sensation fill his body at the thought that she might actually consciously think of him...miss him...

Was it possible?

Then she said it…

"I—I know it seemed weird, Tyler's phone calling you when he was supposed to be dead and all," Caroline said, rolling her eyes, her voice raising with emotion, "I-well, I just got to the hotel and I was by myself and _all_ I could think about was that I got to say goodbye to Tyler, but I didn't get to say goodbye to you…" she shook her head, "I know it's crazy…it's _really crazy_! I mean I didn't even care until…" she trailed off, trying to control herself, before she finally said, in a lower tone, still in disbelief over her feelings, "until you were gone and all I wanted was to hear your voice."

Klaus closed his eyes as he took a breath.

After a moment he opened them and brought them to his sketch pad as he wrote something on it and then slid it under the door, again.

_**I could call my voicemail right now and turn on the speaker on my IPhone. It is probably the only technical thing I know how to do on the blasted contraption.**_

Caroline chuckled, wiping under her eyes where the tears had unexpectedly started to form.

Klaus always had a snappy comeback.

Would it ever end?

Suddenly, she felt herself desperately hoping that it wouldn't.

"Thanks for the offer," she said softly as she watched the sketchpad slide back to the other side, "but I think I'm good. It's enough for now that I can feel you through the door and know that you're okay."

They sat in silence for a few moments, still judging each other's emotions before Caroline spoke again.

"You _are_ okay...right?" She asked

The sketchpad appeared again

_**More or less**_

Caroline paused for a moment before she spoke again

Is...is it permanent? You staying in Tyler's body, I mean," Caroline asked, her voice breaking a little, the idea of the whole predicament was still a little overwhelming to her.

Part of her wished it were true.

Part of her wanted Klaus' personality in Tyler's body, but another part of her didn't.

It just seemed wrong. Like a living person taking over the body of a dead one.

She patiently looked down to the ground at her side, waiting for her answer, and was rewarded seconds later when Klaus' sketchpad appeared under the door.

_**No**_

Caroline's mind suddenly reeled.

She couldn't help it—something suddenly came to her mind—it was a question that was raised by the mere fact that Damon, Stefan and Klaus were alive and she had to ask it.

Klaus would know.

Klaus had occupied Alaric Satzman's body once and Alaric had survived.

She had to know if it was the same way with Tyler.

"So…when you say that Bonnie took your essence out of your body and put it in Tyler's, what happened to Tyler's essence? Is he still in there with you? Is he still alive?"

She held her breath as she waited, her guilt at asking the question magnifying by the second.

She didn't want Klaus to think that she wasn't glad he was alive.

Some crazy part of her—she still wasn't sure where it had come from because it came screaming out of right field—was.

She just couldn't have the cloud of Tyler's doom hanging over her head any longer.

"I'm...sorry..." she whispered, "I just have to know..."

On the other side of the door, Klaus sighed.

He had been dreading this moment. Somehow, he knew she would ask.

He knew she wasn't dumb, that now that she knew he was alive, she wouldn't just accept Tyler's death at face value, especially with the Salvatore Brothers running around.

He closed his eyes in pain and wrote what he could get out of himself onto paper.

Caroline's breath caught as, finally, the sketchpad appeared at her side.

_**Bonnie put his essence in my body. **_

"What does that mean?" Caroline asked, furrowing her eyebrows

Again, the sketchpad appeared under the door

_**Two essences cannot occupy the same mortal shell. **_

"Wait…but when you took over Alaric's body, _he_ came back…"

The sketchpad pulled back under the door, disappearing for a few moments before returning.

_**Alaric and I switched shells. My essence took over his waking body and his essence took over mine while I was still in hibernation. But as long as both shells remained safe and intact, we were able to eventually revert back to our own bodies.**_

Caroline took a breath, "So that means…"

_**Tyler was occupying my body when Alaric destroyed it. He's gone, Caroline.**_

Caroline bit her trembling lip to keep herself from full out sobbing and watched as the sketchpad disappeared under the door, but returned seconds later.

_**I'm so sorry**_

"Don't be." Caroline choked, letting the tears finally come down her face, "Bonnie did what she had to do. If you had really died, Tyler would have most certainly died anyway, where as Damon and Stefan's bloodlines to you were never really proven. Bonnie knew that—she knew there was a bigger picture. _One life_ spared several others that I care about… and I'm _thankful _for that."

Klaus hadn't really thought until just now, but she was right.

Tyler Lockwood, in death, had saved his friends. He was a hero—Bonnie had made him one.

Caroline watched as the sketchpad re-appeared again.

_**At least you can go on with your life knowing that Tyler's life and death meant something**_

Caroline turned and rested her tears stained face against the metal.

"True," she whispered, "But, actually, the life I meant…was yours."


	6. Chapter 6

Misha had spent most of the night channeling all of his energies into reaching out with his senses to find the meaning behind Klaus' necklace and why he had sent it to Elijah before his death, but all he could _really_ feel was the aura of the connection between Elijah and Klaus that the necklace still seemed to give off.

After about an hour, he decided his mind needed a break.

Besides, his first appointment was in a few hours and he needed to focus his energy for the session.

He would come back to Klaus' necklace in a little bit.

He had just sat down on the couch in the front parlor with his morning cappuccino and the latest edition of INStyle Magazine, when he felt a presence with him in the house.

Immediately, he set his mug and the magazine down on the coffee table as he closed his eyes and felt the ether for the identity of the presence, but here was nothing.

When he saw a shadow figure out of the corner of his eye, move quickly down the hall and up the front staircase, Misha rubbed his hands on his stone washed jeans in nervous excitement.

His channeling was about to pay off.

"Finally…" he whispered as he pushed himself up off the couch and followed the entity.

When he ascended the stairs and reached the upstairs hallway, he waited, then saw the light in his bedroom turn on.

Obediently, Misha followed where the entity had gone, pushing the door to his room open slowly.

To his surprise, the entity was not who he had expected.

"Gloria," he whispered in shock as his eyes came to rest on the tall, slender witch who still had the golden pixie cut locks—though, the last time Misha had seen her was 1926 and her attire was quite different than the more modern outfit she now wore.

"Hi, Baby," She smiled, "It's been a long time."

# # # # # # # #

There was a long period of darkness…

Then with a jolt, Elijah awoke on the grassy floor of a meadow in Stephens Woods, his mind racing as he blinked to decipher the figure now standing over him.

As the world came into focus again, he saw that it was Niklaus.

"Elijah," he smiled, still wearing the same clothes he had worn when he had visited Elijah in an earlier dream.

His face was kind as he reached a hand down to his brother and helped him to his feet.

"Where are we?" Elijah asked, looking around

Niklaus smirked, "My burial ground."

Elijah narrowed his eyes as he turned back to his younger brother, "I beg your pardon?"

But before he could question any more, Niklaus continued, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder, meeting his gaze head on.

"I need your help, Elijah. You are the only one. I _need_ you figure this out. I _need _you to _find me."_

"Find you?" Elijah said in a trembled whisper, trying to hold his emotions together as he brought his hand to rest over Niklaus' on his shoulder, "Brother, you're dead…"

"No." Niklaus replied, his eyes still blazing, "I _live_…I live forever. I live in _you _and I live in _him_."

Again, Elijah, though overjoyed to be seeing his brother face to face again since his death, was completely confused by this notion.

Usually, he was all up for riddles, but lack of sleep, stress over Elena and his own personal grief, was making what his brother was saying all seem to jumble together.

"I will help you, Niklaus, you know I will…but, I don't understand."

Niklaus smiled apologetically and took a deep breath before turning to the large ancient oak tree behind him, touching the trunk and looking up into the branches as the light shined through onto his face.

"You will." He replied, "You just have to remember."

# # # # # # #

"You look good," Gloria stated, seemingly trying to start the conversation that had dead ended in silence moments before when Misha first opened his bedroom door.

The warlock shook his head in an effort to bring himself to speak through his shock.

"You too." he said softly, "I heard you had crossed over—"

"Oh, come on Mishy, you can say it, I plumb out _died_," Gloria replied as she moved to Misha's desk and leaned against it, folding her arms across her chest, "And, ironically by the doppelganger's hand."

"Elena killed you?" Misha asked confused

"No…" Gloria relented, lowering her arms and gazing over at the centuries of photographs on Misha's desk, "The _other one_."

Misha smirked, "Katherine."

"Yep," Gloria shrugged as she picked up one of the framed photos and looked at it, "But I guess I had it coming…Karma and what not."

"Gloria…" Misha started, hoping to give her comforting words, but she held her free hand up to him to silence his words

"No…No platitudes, Baby, I chose the wrong side, _that's obvious_. Klaus was always a charmer, that's for sure. That boy had me doing his dirty work for him since we were children, you remember?"

Misha nodded

"Elijah, on the other hand…" Gloria said, turning the photograph toward Misha, "Elijah was always _good_—a good brother, a good son, a good friend…a good _man_. I still can't believe that moral compass stayed intact after he turned, that rarely ever happens. You were lucky to have his friendship."

"I still am," Misha replied with a smile as he stepped forward, gently taking the photograph of him and Elijah outside of his house in 1958.

After placing it back on the desk, Misha turned to his older sister.

"So why are you here?"

"Careful now, is that any way to greet your long lost sister, " she teased, "you upset me and I'll haunt your dreams, forcing you to relive your days as front man in that _God awful_ Whitney Houston tribute band."

Misha's face fell open in shock, quickly trying to save the situation, "I didn't mean that I'm not happy to see you—"

"Mmmm…Mmmm…" Gloria shook her head, "Whitney deserved better, Misha."

"Gloria, _please,_" Misha said softly, reaching out instinctively to touch his sister, but stopped when they both realized that his hand would pass right through her arm.

After a moment of silence, Gloria looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, but not shedding them.

"I'm non-corporeal, remember?" she whispered

Misha nodded and stepped back as they both suddenly tried to take hold of their emotions, their teasing and sibling badgering immediately over.

Gloria swallowed the lump in her throat then turned, walking over to Misha's dresser as she spoke.

"I'm here because of _this,"_ she said as she leaned against the mahogany and pointed down at the top right hand drawer.

Misha's eyes narrowed as he walked forward, "You're here because of Klaus' necklace? But, you weren't the one I tried to summon, I summoned Esther."

Gloria rolled her eyes

"Boy, you are bat shit _crazy_! Esther's not going to answer _you,_ she's got her own agenda and it _ain't_ pulling her children's asses out of the flames no more, that's for damn sure!"

Misha opened his mouth, but Gloria continued

"I know that you are doing this for Elijah, that he asked you to, so don't even try to come up with some other story. He wants to know if his brother is really dead, if there is a reason that necklace came into ya'll's possession before he died, am I right?"

"Do you think Mama?—" Misha started

"_Boy,_" Gloria said, pointing her finger at her youngest brother, "Don't even bring up your Mama! She's staying out of this one like she _always_ has, so don't get any fancy ideas about contacting her."

She then pulled back her finger and straightened, "That's why she sent me. She knew you were in trouble when you stooped so low as to try to contact Esther Mikaelson."

Misha closed his eyes

Gloria smiled, "So, it turns out, I'm you're only hope, _Whitney_, and I'm gonna tell you right now, I'm one step ahead of you. I got information to share. Some of it, you'll want to hear, but most of it, I warn you, _you don't_."

"How?" Misha asked again, still stunned, but willing himself to speak

"Oh, I get around…But mostly, I've been following Esther's energy and she's been communicating with _someone_, but it ain't been_ you._"

"Who, then?" Misha asked, perplexed

"Grab your necklace out of the drawer," Gloria commanded and Misha did so, pulling open the top drawer and retrieving Klaus' necklace.

She then held out her hand to her brother and he grasped it tight.

"Hold on to your butt, Whitney." She smiled again and then in a flash of light, they disappeared.

Moments later, they suddenly appeared in a clearing in Stephens Woods near the old Fell Church.

A little dizzy and nauseous, Misha tried to gain his balance as Gloria released his hand.

Misha looked around at his surroundings with blurry eyes for a moment then as his vision focused, he noticed two figures off in the distance.

He squinted and with a pang in his heart, suddenly realized that the figures were Elijah and Niklaus.

They were talking civilly under the shade of a large oak tree.

"Misha!" Gloria called from a distance

But Misha did not move, his eyes still focused on his friend and his friend's brother.

He stepped forward instinctively.

If only he could hear what they were saying…

"_Misha,_" Gloria said again as she grabbed his shoulder, suddenly appearing at his side

"What _is this_?" Misha asked confused as he turned to his sister

"_They_ are not why we are here," Gloria said, using her grip to steer her brother around in the opposite direction.

Misha was still looking over his shoulder at Elijah and Klaus, when Gloria's words, shook him to the present.

"_She_ is," Gloria's voice said and Misha faced forward

Misha took in a sharp breath as he stood face to face with a pajama clad Bonnie Bennett

"What is it with these things?" Bonnie immediately asked narrowing her eyes, "How come everyone else can always manifest the clothes they were wearing and I'm always in my pajamas?"

"But you _are_ in your pajamas somewhere," Gloria smiled and Bonnie rolled her eyes

"Bonnie," Gloria said, turning to Misha, "I would like you to meet my brother Misha—"

"We've met." Bonnie said curtly, crossing her arms over her chest haughtily, "So just cut to the chase—why are you here? _How_ are you here? I'm controlling this—"

"No, baby, you just set it in motion," Gloria replied, "_We're_ the big guns and we're here now, so as the little gun, you are going to step aside and tell my little brother here _everything_ you've done and _everything_ you know about_... that…" _

Misha followed Gloria's arm as she pointed over her shoulder at Elijah and Niklaus' meeting.

Bonnie bit her lip in frustration then lowered her arms.

"_Fine,_" she relented…

Ten minutes later, Misha inhaled sharply as he flung forward into a sitting position on top of his bed where, fully clothed, he had gone into a transitive sleep the night before after Elijah left, trying to channel Esther, Niklaus' necklace still clutched in his right palm.

Two hundred miles away, he knew that Bonnie Bennett would wake up in her own bed, herself shocked by their conversation minutes before.

"_Holy shit!"_ he suddenly cried as he flung himself over the other side of the comforter and reached for his cell phone on the bedside table.

Lighting the screen up, he dialed Elijah's number.

# # # # # # #

Elijah was roused from his own dreams by a buzzing in his pocket.

He tried to open his eyes, but his head ached.

He knew it was his phone that was making that silent racket, but before he could sit up in the chair next to Elena's bed, where he had planted himself with a book (that now lay splayed out on his chest where he had dropped it when he drifted off to sleep an hour before), the buzzing stopped.

Elijah took in a breath, laid his head back and fell into sleep again.

# # # # # #

"_Damn_." Misha cursed when Elijah's voice mail came on after several rings

He begrudgingly hit the end button, then brought his cell phone to his chin in thought.

Elijah was in danger…

"_Crap_…" he sighed as he closed his eyes and hit the speed dial on his phone.

He couldn't trust Bonnie, that he knew.

And he _definitely_ couldn't trust the Salvatores with this information.

Kol and Rebekah were his only hope now.

Elijah wouldn't like it, but he wasn't answering his damn phone…served him right.


	7. Chapter 7

"_Crap…"_

Misha waited impatiently with his phone to his ear, but he didn't have to wait long as Rebekah's phone went directly to voicemail.

He knew that Kol had left his cell phone, along with the rest of his belongings at the house, so Rebekah was his only hope of contacting the now rogue, youngest Mikaelson siblings.

He decided, begrudgingly, that he would have to leave a message.

Misha sighed as he sent up a silent prayer that Rebekah hadn't ditched her phone or that it hadn't fallen into the wrong hands as he listened for the beep, then left his message, trying not to speak too fast, but at the same time trying to convey everything that was happening before the recording time ran out.

He _had_ to get her to come home.

Action!

"Rebekah, it's Misha. Look, girl, I know I'm the second to last person you want to talk to right now, but I'm calling because your brothers need your help—_both_ of your help. I know your angry, I know your hurt and you have every right to be, but y'all are still family, and trust me, I know better than anyone that family is like being bound to a chain of people walking a tight rope over a burning abyss. I also know that sometimes people hold on and sometimes they let go, and _sometimes_, then even get dropped into the fire just far enough so that their rear end gets toasted like a marshmallow as a warning! Well, this spat with Elijah was your warning, Honey, but if when you're family, you take it and then you fall right back into line just like you always have and you keep going and work together to get across that damn rope! Now, I need you to grab a hold of Kol's shirt collar and drag him back with you to Mystic Falls. _Again,_ I say, your brothers are in trouble and yes, I just said _brothers_. Klaus is alive, Sugar, but he needs a body, but only _one_ will work and he needs Elijah to help him find the one he needs. The problem is your Mama is back. She's working through Bonnie Bennett, she's misleading Klaus and she's using Elijah. In the end, if Klaus gets his body and Elijah is still connected to him, she's going to get what _she_ wants—both of them dead as doornails. Call me back."

Misha took a breath and hit the End button on the touch screen.

He tossed the phone to the foot of the bed and bit his lip.

_Double crap_…he thought

Who knew when Rebekah was going to get that message—he needed another way to get to Elijah...and fast.

His mind raced as he thought of a way to communicate with his friend.

If things were going down the way Bonnie said they were, then their only chance of stopping Esther was to one—fill Elijah in on what was happening and two—restore what was taken from him so that he could help Niklaus get his body. If Niklaus could regain physical form and he knew what Misha now knew, he and Elijah could turn Esther's magic on her before she could go through with her plan.

It was a long shot, but it was their only chance and it would have to be their offensive until Kol and Rebekah could arrive to help.

Misha took a steadying breath and opened the drawer to the side table next to his bed and pulled out two candles.

He pulled his Zippo lighter from the front pocket of his jeans and lit them, one by one, placing one back on the table, then crossing his legs and holding the remaining one in his hands, level with his chest.

He closed his eyes and tried to center himself, willing his nervously beating heart to slow and his mind to reach out, bringing his body into full channeling meditation.

First, he focused on Elijah, then slowly brought his mind to focus on one other person and called out her name silently into the ether.

To his surprise, she answered quickly and didn't resist him as they sometimes do.

As he finally let out a staggered breath, he felt her presence in the room with him.

The warlock willed himself to open his eyes and blew out the candle, lowering it to sit in the triangle his legs had made.

"Hello, Misha," Liliya Petrova said sweetly, her features fiercely beautiful like Katerina's, but the smile that crossed her face soft, like Elena's.

She now stood at the foot of his bed, dressed in a simple hemp dress with her dark curls pulled back off of her face, leaving her dark brown eyes to pierce his—stunning him as they stared at each other in silence for a few more moments.

Quickly, he had to remind himself that she was a spirit.

But, that was hard because she seemed so real and looked the just the same as the day she died.

Elijah had been right when he told Misha that she never left him—that her spirit had stayed with him all these centuries—how else would he be able to call her now when Elijah was in trouble?

Misha shook himself out of his trance and sat forward, addressing the spirit of the original doppelganger.

"Liliya, Elijah is in danger. I need your help. I need you to reach him."

Liliya straightened as she stepped closer to the end of the bed, her face falling in worry.

"Tell me everything…" she said softly

"Better yet," Misha smiled, "I'll give you back something Esther took from you a thousand years ago...and _show_ you."

# # # # # # #

_Bang! _

_Bang! _

Klaus awoke with a sharp inhale, his new mortal body aching, particularly his head.

As he tried to sit up, he came face to face with the concrete floor and soon discovered that he had passed out where he had been sitting in front of the entrance to the Lockwood Cellar.

When he slowly came upright, Klaus rubbed the back of Tyler's neck and tried to stretch out one of his arms.

Bonnie said that she would make it so that he could visit Elijah in his dreams—to get him to remember what he needed to remember so that his brother could help him find a body of his own—but she didn't say anything about these passing out episodes.

Quite frankly, that alarmed him.

It also alarmed him that the dream had ended so abruptly before he could finish talking to Elijah.

What was that about?

_Bang! _

Klaus felt Tyler's ears ring as the door shook behind him.

"Klaus!" Caroline called nervously from the other side, "Are you alright in there?"

Apparently, the situation had also alarmed Caroline.

_Bang! _

Klaus blinked Tyler's eyes to focus then searched around for his stetchpad, their mode of communication for the last half hour, though he wasn't sure exactly how long he had been passed out.

When he found the pad of paper at his feet, he grabbed it and the pen, which had rolled slightly out of reach and began writing.

He let out a staggered breath as he slid it behind him under the door.

_**I'm here**_

The banging stopped and Klaus breathed a silent sigh of relief.

The noise had not done anything to help his headache.

"Thank God," Caroline sighed, "You didn't talk for like a good ten minutes."

Klaus scoffed with a smile, then wrote quickly on the sketchpad and slid it back under the door.

_**So, I'm a chatterbox, am I? **_

"Yes…yes, you are," Caroline chuckled as she leaned back on the door, then sighed as she lowered her voice to a whisper, "But, I was really worried something had happened to you, well…_again_."

Klaus' heart (well, Tyler's heart) leapt and he smirked.

She _would_ have missed him.

He still couldn't believe that it was real.

Someone would have missed him if he was really gone.

Sure his siblings would have, but they were almost required to—he was their flesh and blood.

But, _this girl—_this exquisite girl, who he had known for such a short time and who had completely blindsided him with her strength and beauty—this girl who had changed him in so many ways…

She would have missed him.

She didn't have to, but she _would_.

Heck, she already admitted she had earlier when she thought he had gone up in flames.

Klaus wrote on the pad and slid it under the door.

_**Thanks, Love. **_

Caroline smiled, "Your welcome."

Then there was a silence as Caroline furrowed her eyebrows in thought, then spoke.

"So, what happened anyway?" she finally asked through the steel

The sketchpad disappeared as Klaus wrote his response, then it reappeared moments later at her side.

_**A spell knocked me out for a while.**_

Caroline sucked in a breath before cocking her head and raising her eyebrows.

"Well…_that_ can't be good," she observed

# # # # # #

As fast as he had nodded off, Elijah re-awoke; Jerking his head as he tried to keep himself awake, his drooping eyes moved to Elena, still sleeping soundly in the bed nearby.

_She's safe_…a voice in his head told him

_You can sleep_…

_Sleep_…

Elijah felt his eyes roll back into his head as he drifted off to sleep, again.

Suddenly, just as it had before, the initial darkness quickly turned to light and Elijah found himself back in Stephens Woods, standing in the meadow with the sunlight pouring through the trees above him.

He immediately heard a rustling behind him and secretly hoped it was Niklaus.

Their conversation had been cut off abruptly earlier and Elijah still wanted to find out what his brother needed from him.

But, when Elijah turned around, he found someone else standing in Niklaus' place.

He stiffened, his eyes widening, but at the same time, his heart melted instantly as she stepped forward.

"Liliya…" he whispered in disbelief as he took in her face

"My love," she replied, her eyes softening as she brought them to his, continuing to move forward until she was close enough to take his right hand in her left.

Elijah took a deep breath to steady himself as he forced himself to speak.

"Why are you here?" he asked in a low voice, still searching the vast chocolate ocean that was her eyes, "It's been so long since I've seen you."

"That's a good thing," Liliya smiled, enfolding his hand tighter in her grasp, pulling him closer, "It means you have found something else to live for—something other than revenge. But, it doesn't mean that I ever left you. I told you before, that you and I are bound to each other, remember? I will _always _with you Elijah…I will always be here for you when you need me."

Elijah smiled as he brought his other hand to stroke the side of her face.

"Like now…" Liliya whispered, her face suddenly going solemn

Elijah narrowed his eyes as he lowered his hand

"What do you mean? What is wrong?"

"Misha sent me with a message, Elijah. It's about Niklaus."

"What about him?" Elijah swallowed nervously

"Misha has recently learned that Niklaus' body was destroyed, but not his essence. He is still here Elijah. He's not dead."

"Hence, neither are the Salvatores…" Elijah whispered, his eyes widening in sudden realization, "Of course…that's it."

"Elijah, listen to me." Liliya said softly, squeezing his hand, "Niklaus doesn't have long. A spell has his essence occupying the body of another, but it won't sustain him—it's just a temporary body—it's not meant to. He's in hiding now to keep it safe and to keep anyone from discovering he's alive. But, he needs _your_ help."

"That's why he's been visiting me in my dreams, isn't it?" Elijah asked, pulling the pieces together, "Why he sent me his necklace before he died?"

"Yes. He needs a new vessel—"

"But, why would he need _my_ help for that?" Elijah asked confused

"For centuries, Klaus has safeguarded a secret—a series of memories. These memories were taken from all of your family—and me—and even Misha—by Esther over a thousand years ago. She performed a spell so that you wouldn't remember something very important to your family history, only someone _did_ remember years later…Niklaus. Because he was a hybrid, the spell wasn't permanent as it was with you and your siblings."

"What are these memories?" Elijah asked, cocking his head

Liliya took a breath.

"When Klaus was on the run from Mikael all those centuries, he had a safeguard—the _perfect _safeguard, in fact—and it lied within _those memories_. What made it even more perfect was that neither you or your siblings, _nor _even your Father remembered those memories, ensuring that if there was a falling out, you could never use it to retaliate against him. Let me ask you something…why do you think Klaus kept all those witches and warlocks so close all those centuries?"

"They were there to help him locate doppelganger."

Liliya smiled and raised an eyebrow playfully, "Not to guard his person?"

"No. Niklaus never had bodyguards—"

Suddenly, Elijah stopped midsentence, his eyes widening as Liliya nodded, silently acknowledging what her former fiance was thinking.

"Because he knew he had a spare…compatible… body," she whispered, "not to mention the witches and warlocks necessary to perform an essence spell if his original body was ever in danger."

Elijah's face paled.

"What?" he asked, suddenly feeling a little sick

"He ran from Mikael all those years, but he never really feared death, did he? That's the safeguard, Elijah. Klaus has a body waiting out there—a body that he can live in, again…_forever_," Liliya said, releasing his hand as she brought her hand to the side of Elijah's forehead, "That's why Klaus needs you. Misha says that somewhere, deep inside your subconscious, you remember where it is."

"Me?" Elijah gasped, "How?"

"Because, you and Mikael buried it a thousand years ago. Mikael is dead, so that means you are the only one left who knows its location."

"Do I?" Elijah asked, taking a nervous step back, but Liliya kept her hand to his forehead, following his movements.

"Yes," she said with a comforting smile as she brought her right hand up to the other side of Elijah's face,

"According to Misha, you do. He was able to get your lost memories back from Bonnie Bennett and I'm supposed to give them to you so you can find him and deliver him to Klaus."

"_Him_?" Elijah asked, perplexed, "Him, who?"

"Klaus' body…" Liliya replied, "Ioan."

Elijah scoffed, "I don't know who that is."

Liliya gently began pressing her hands into his temples, forcing Elijah's eyes to close and the lost images from his mind to come flooding back.

"You will…" she whispered


	8. Chapter 8

_**((Sorry for the short chapter everyone. I really don't mean to leave you in suspense, I'm just juggling quite a bit right now. I'll update again soon. Enjoy!))**_

When the images subsided, Elijah opened his eyes and staggered back, a little dizzy.

Liliya's hands were still at his temples and gently came down to enfold the sides of his face, holding him steady as his gaze came to meet hers.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concerned

"I-I remember," Elijah whispered, his heart and mind still trying to wrap around the images that he had lived without for over a thousand years.

"Ioan?" she asked with a small sympathetic smile

Elijah took an unsteady breath and nodded, bringing his hands up to rest on hers.

"I have another brother," he said softly as his eyes started to narrow, "Though…"

There was a moment's pause as he trailed off, adverting his gaze seemingly in another world.

"Elijah?" Liliya prompted, searching his face, trying to bring him back.

Elijah smirked nervously as he came out of his thoughts and looked back to her as he brought one of her hands down to his chest.

"I don't know. It just—it feels like I should have known all along in here…in my heart. I'm his brother…I should have known…"

"What?" Liliya asked, cocking her head

Elijah shook his head in disbelief.

"That Niklaus was a twin."

# # # # # #

**NEW WORLD 1044 A.D.**

"**Elijah," Henrik called over his shoulder, stopping his oldest brother in his tracks as he passed behind him in the underground cave tunnel, "Come look." **

**Elijah smiled as he turned, changing directions and stepping up behind his younger brother, squinting in the low cave light at the carving Henrik was working on—a wolf under a series of moon phases. **

"**Very good, Henrik," Elijah commended, squatting down until he was the same height as his brother and resting his chin on his right shoulder, "But you missed one." **

**Henrik cocked his head, still looking at the wall as Elijah reached down and placed his hand over his younger brother's, bringing it and the knife still in Henrik's hand back to the wall. **

**Slowly, he guided his brothers movements as they carved the last moon together. **

"**Remember when we went hunting two nights ago and we stood on the ridge above the quarry, stalking?"  
**

**Henrik nodded**

"**What moon did you seen then?" Elijah prompted **

**Henrik screwed his face in thought and brought his free hand in front of his face, opening his fingers one by one, counting. **

**When he made it to four, he rolled his eyes and lowered his hand, watching as his brother guided his other hand to finish the drawing of the moon he now saw in his mind. **

"**Waxing Gibbious," he stated with confidence**

"**Well done," Elijah said in Henrik's ear as he pulled his brother's hand and knife from the wall and the two stared at the completed cycle, "Waxing Gibbious shows its lunar phase between the First Quarter moon and the Full Moon, like tonight." **

**Henrik turned his head toward his right shoulder, bringing him face to face with Elijah, giving him a small smile. **

"**Henrik!" **

**Elijah stood and Henrik turned as they both looked down to the other end of the tunnel and saw Rebekah staring back at them a few hundred feet away.**

"**Henrik, there you are!" Rebekah scoffed, toting a large basket of unshucked corn on her hip, "Come along. You're supposed to be helping me."**

**Henrik sighed as he replaced his knife in his belt, then gave one last glance toward his brother, who ran his hand affectionately through his long dark hair before the youngest Mikaelson took off toward his waiting sister. **

**As he walked on through the torch lit cave corridor, Elijah passed through the rest of the villagers—sitting, working, eating, talking—patiently waiting in the caverns like they did every full moon. **

**Suddenly, a large group of children came running toward Elijah, laughing and chasing each other, causing Elijah to smile, but stop and back up against the cave wall as they rushed past him in a whirl of wind. **

**When they disappeared down the other end of the tunnel, he pushed himself off the rock face, but paused as he caught a glimpse of Liliya, sitting with the some of the other women of the village on the far side of the open cavern. **

**She was kneeling across from Elga, one of the elderly women, with wool wrapped around her hands, feeding it to Elga as she knitted and chatted on. **

**As if sensing his presence, Liliya looked up, smiling as they made eye contact for a few moments, before Elga said something to bring Liliya's attention back to her and Elijah moved on. **

**When he reached the fork in the cave, Elijah instantly went right toward the mouth.  
**

**A few feet up the incline, he saw his brother, Kol, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, sharpening his sword over his knee. **

"**Ahh…here to take over?" Kol asked, looking up**

"**Yes." **

"**Is the meal almost ready?"**

"**Yes." Elijah chuckled **

"**Good," Kol smiled, swinging himself up to his feet and holstering his sword, "I'm starving." **

"**Where's Father?" Elijah asked **

"**At the mouth scanning the woods. He keeps saying he's got a bad feeling about tonight," Kol shrugged as he started to move past his brother, but Elijah placed a hand on Kol's shoulder to stop him. **

"**Go straight to Mother." Elijah said, bringing his eyes to meet Kol's, his voice intense, "No stopping and _no humans_." **

"**Yes, yes…" Kol retorted mockingly, "No humans." **

"**Kol…" Elijah raised an eyebrow**

"**I _know,_" Kol said seriously, "I'll keep my hands to myself until I reach the river tunnel." **

**Elijah gave his brother a pat on the shoulder to send him off, watching after him for a few moments, before heading in the direction of his Father. **

**But, as he came around the next bend, he heard two groans and a cry of triumph. **

"**Mancala!" Finn yelled he tossed his final rock from the pile at his feet into the last square of dirt drawn on the floor of the cave. **

"**I smell a cheater," Klaus said, leaning forward across the game board with a raised eyebrow. **

"**_Really,_ Niklaus?" Finn scoffed, lifting his bare, muscled arms out to his sides, "Where would I hide the rocks? I'm wearing a vest with no sleeves. Pay up." **

"**Oh, quit your pouting, Niklaus, and pay him." Ioan agreed as he watched Klaus fold his arms and lean back in indignation.**

"**Fine," Klaus smiled finally, turning to his twin brother sitting next to him and opening his hand, "Can I borrow five sceattas?" **

"**You're encourageable," Ioan sighed, rolling his eyes as he reached into his vest and retrieved the money, then tossed it across to Finn. **

**Finn counted the silver currency in his palm, then raised his eyes to Elijah, now standing above them as he pocketed it. **

"**Would you like to play, Ejah?" he asked, calling his older brother by his childhood nickname**

"**No," Eliah smiled, as he circled around them, "I'm just here to relieve Father. Maybe another time." **

"**Right then," Finn said, turning his attention back to the twins, rubbing his hand together in anticipation, "Best two out of three before dinner?" **

"**Avtalt," Klaus stated in their native language as he reached for his set of rocks to start a new game, but Ioan quickly grabbed his brother's hand to still it. **

"**I think you've gambled enough for tonight, Nik. At the rate you're going I won't have any money left by dawn. Why don't you let me play for my _own money,_ hmm?"**

"**Don't we share everything?" Klaus smirked, sitting back as he watched Ioan pick up the rocks and set up his side of the board across from Finn. **

"**Who made **_**those **_**rules?" Ioan smiled, turning to his twin**

**Klaus laughed, "Unfortunately for us, biology." **

**Ioan smirked and looked up to Elijah.**

"**Why couldn't _we_ be twins?" he chuckled  
**

**# # # # # #**

Elijah awoke with a deep breath.

After a moment of taking in his surroundings and realizing he was no longer in the forest with Liliya, but in Stefan Salvatore's bedroom, he rolled his shoulders and sat up.

He had just turned his gaze to Elena, still asleep soundly in Stefan's bed, when he felt his cell phone buzzing in his pocket.

Rubbing one hand over his face, he reached down to his blue jean pocket with the other, blinking a few times to bring the screen into focus as he brought the cell up to his face.

After tossing Elena another glance, he raised himself from the chair and moved stealthily toward the bedroom door, opening it as quietly as possible.

When he was safe in the hallway, he hit the answer button on the touch screen.

"Misha?" he answered in a low, groggy voice

"Thank God!" Misha cried on the other end in relief, "Where have you been, Boy?"

"Family reunion," Elijah smirked

"So the spell worked? You saw Liliya?" Misha asked

"I saw _more _than Liliya," Elijah replied

"You saw _him_, didn't you?" Misha stated sadly, "You saw Ioan."

"Yeah…" Elijah sighed, running his free hand through his hair, "And worse… I know what happened to him."


	9. Chapter 9

The door to the Richmond area _**Denny's**_ opened, immediately drawing several pairs of eyes from the early afternoon crowd.

"I can't _believe_ you talked me into this, Bekah," Kol whispered to his sister apprehensively.

Rebekah smirked and tugged a little on her brother's arm, trying to get him the rest of the way through the threshold, but Kol was reluctant, still holding the door open with one hand as if ready to make his escape at a moment's notice.

"Oh, _come on,_ Kol," Rebekah said as she nodded to the waitress, who was now making her way down the aisle between booths to the front to greet them, "Haven't you ever wondered what it's like to actually sit down in a _normal _restaurant and eat _normal _food, like _normal_ families?"

Kol scrunched his face in dramatic thought for a moment then turned back to his sister.

"Ummm…_no_," he replied bluntly

Suddenly, Kol heard a voice behind him.

"Why, Thank You, young man," an elderly woman said in a soft, shaky voice as she shuffled through the door past him, soon followed by a menagerie of several more elderly ladies in large red hats.

Kol gasped and jumped back from the doorway as if stung.

"It's alright, Kol," Rebekah sighed in a low voice as her brother moved closer to her to avoid any more contact with the elderly women now standing next to them, "I'll protect you."

Kol rolled his eyes as the waitress finally made it to the front greeting stand and grabbed a handful of menus.

"Welcome," she smiled kindly, "How many?"

"Two," Rebekah replied and reached for Kol's hand as the waitress waved for them to follow her.

"Oh, God…" Kol pouted, looking back over his shoulder at the Red Hat Society, then darting his eyes around the room, taking in the rest of the crowd as he followed begrudgingly behind his sister, "It's official. _This_ is Hell... I'm in Hell."

# # # # # #

"So, what do you want to do about, Niklaus, Elijah?" Misha asked solemnly on the other end of the line.

Elijah rolled his head back onto his shoulders and sighed.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, "There is a part of me that says I shouldn't bring him back—that it's too dangerous—that I should let him go for good—but then…"

"He's your little brother," Misha finished, his voice sympathetic

"I'm not saying that we should forget the past. There is no cause to believe that Niklaus' motives would ever change where hybrids, Elena and let's face it, world domination, are concerned," Elijah conceded, turning and leaning against the hallway wall, "But I guess I still have hope that Niklaus can change. That when he wakes up in this new body, he'll finally be the young man I knew a thousand years ago."

There was a short pause before Elijah smirked sadly.

"Tell me I'm crazy…I know it sounds crazy. It _always _does to me—"

"No it doesn't." Misha replied quickly in a soft voice

Elijah sniffed and wiped under his eyes with his free hand, suddenly feeling the tears well up.

"So, you want to help him?" Misha asked

Elijah took a death breath and nodded.

"Yes. He's asking for my help," he shrugged, "I can't say no."

"Did Liliya explain to you that your Mother is working through Bonnie Bennett? That once she found out Bonnie helped Klaus do an essence transfer into Tyler Lockwood's body, she decided to use Klaus' plan against him?"

"In so many words," Elijah replied

"Well, it looks like she's encouraging Bonnie to help him. Bonnie has spelled Klaus' hide out— to protect his temporary body—so only you can enter. She's also been helping Klaus visit you in your dreams. That's how he's been coming to you, isn't it? Asking for your help?"

"How did you-?"

"Bottom line, your Mother knew Klaus' plan all along, probably for centuries—that one day, he would use Ioan's body to return if anything happened to his own. Right now, she's setting up all the chips so that they fall in his favor, but the _minute _he's corporeal again and she's got you trapped, she's going to come out of the woodwork and use your connection to kill you both."

"Then Kol and Rebekah would be vulnerable," Elijah whispered

"Yes," Misha continued, "Without you and Klaus to protect them, they'll be easy targets. Not to mention, Elena."

Elijah took a shaky breath, the realization suddenly coming to him

"If she doesn't turn, my mother will surely kill her. And if she _does_ turn, the bloodlines ensure that she dies when Niklaus and I die."

"Not to be Mr. Kill Joy, but…yep."

Elijah pushed himself off of the wall, "So is there a way for us all to live happily ever after?"

Misha took a breath, "Yes. If you want to help your brother, do it. Play along with Esther's plan—find Ioan's body and bring Niklaus back before it's too late—but just keep your eyes open. Listen to your gut, don't tell the Salvatore Brothers _anything _and for the _love of God_, don't contact or trust Bonnie Bennett—"

"But won't we need Bonnie to perform the ritual?" Elijah asked narrowing his eyes, "Or else, how will we bring Niklaus back?"

There was a deafening silence on the other end

"Misha?" Elijah asked, his voice brimming with concern as he held the phone tighter to his ear.

After a moment, Misha cleared his throat and answered

"There is another way…." Misha whispered, almost in disbelief of what he was saying, "I—I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier. It's very dangerous, but you could bring Ioan back _without _Bonnie's help. Now, if you keep Bonnie out of it, you may be able to stall Esther, though, going about it _this way_ could send out some _major_ supernatural vibes—vibes that could be felt in other worlds and could possibly do the opposite and alert Esther to what is happening and bring her to you sooner…"

"What is it?" Elijah asked impatiently

Misha audibly swallowed nervously on the other end of the line

"When you got your memories back, did you notice anything strange about them?" he asked

Elijah thought for a moment.

Thousands of memories flooded his mind—all different, all changed…

But there _was_ one part in the last memory he had before he had awoken, that now suddenly caught his attention.

"Henrik…" Elijah whispered absent mindedly, his thoughts immediately drawing to the memory of his family in the cave—when he helped Henrik carve the wolf and the moon cycle on the cave wall.

"Yes?" Misha encouraged

Elijah's mind continued to flash images of the memory.

Tracing Henrik's hand over the wall…

Henrik smiling at him over his shoulder….

"Oh, my God," Elijah said suddenly, "We were vampires then—that night in the cave—the night Niklaus…"

Elijah stopped and swallowed, suddenly so overcome with emotion that he couldn't finish the thought of what had happened that night with Ioan and Niklaus—the night that changed _everything_—the memory was still so new and he just wasn't ready.

"Elijah?" Misha prodded

Elijah closed his eyes and continued in a low voice, "Why was Henrik there? He died two months before that happened."

"Do you remember Henrik's death?" Misha asked

Elijah opened his eyes and immediately saw himself running out of the stable, where he had been shoeing horses, when he heard Niklaus' screams. He had watched Niklaus lay Henrik's mutilated body on the ground gently before collapsing into Rebekah's arms. He remembered how their Mother begged Ayanna to save her youngest child, and how his parents were wracked with grief when they were told that nothing could be done. Elijah, alone, buried Henrik. He chose the boy's favorite place to play near the river and wept when he placed the wooden wolf he had just finished carving for his youngest brother on Henrik's grave.

Elijah had wondered why his parents never burned Henrik's body. Other people in the village thought it odd, too. It was Nordic tradition to burn the flesh of the dead so that the soul would be freed, not bury it underground where the soul would be trapped forever.

"Elijah?"

"I remember. I was the one who buried him."

"You thought it strange, didn't you?" Misha asked, as if reading Elijah's thoughts

"Yes."

"Elijah, when Henrik died, my mother told Esther that there _wasn't _a way to bring Henrik back…but, there _was_. She just didn't say it. And, like with the spell that she performed on you and your siblings to turn you into vampires, Esther turned to the dark magics to bring Henrik back. That is why you remembered seeing him in your memories of Ioan. Henrik _was _there. It was part of your memory that Esther had erased. He had been revived and turned when you and your siblings were turned. For a short time, Henrik was a vampire."

Elijah silently gasped as his mind moved back to the memory of Henrik in the cave.

There were scars.

He hadn't seen them before, but he saw them now.

When Elijah grabbed his brother's hand to help him carve—a long scar on his right wrist…

When Henrik brought his left hand up to count the moon cycles—a long scar on his left wrist…

When Henrik turned to him and smiled, there were three scars—one long one down the right side of his throat, one near his right eye and one on the side of his nose.

What could leave marks like that?

"How?" Elijah asked breathlessly, bringing himself back to reality.

"Kaspar," Misha replied in a low voice

Kaspar? The name sounded familiar...

Suddenly, images flashed through Elijah's mind again as he remembered the name, his mind moving to Misha's house, days earlier, when he had stood in the front hallway with Katerina and his eyes had moved to the drawing of Ayanna surrounded by the small portraits of her children.

Elijah's gaze focused on one.

Kaspar.

He was the third child and middle son.

His mind flashed again and Elijah saw Kaspar a thousand years before, barely twenty years-old, being dragged from Ayanna's house by several of the village men.  
Ayanna kept her eyes to the ground in solemn reverence as she comforted her younger children.

That was before they had been turned and Elijah remembered that he and Finn had stood with Misha near the stable, watching as Kaspar struggled in the men's grasp and townspeople silently spat at Kaspar's feet.

There was no mob scene, no fanfare.

Everyone seemed to understand and accept Kaspar's fate—even, it seemed, his own family.

Kaspar kept a stoic face as two of the men threw a black hood over his head and a third pulled him up on top of a white stead and the rest of the group mounted and rode off into the woods.

"Do you remember my brother, Elijah?" Misha asked

Elijah took a breath and narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. I vaguely remember that he was banished from the village."

There was a short silence before Misha scoffed softly, "Another memory Esther took from you and I returned. Wow, we could play a rousing game of 'My Younger Brother is More Diabolical than Your Younger Brother', couldn't we?"

"What do you mean?" Elijah asked, confused

"Kaspar was banished from the village because, by the time he turned eighteen, his powers had begun to manifest into something stronger and more dangerous than any mere warlock. He had a special affinity for manipulating the dark arts. Fearing what he was capable of, the village elders banished him. But, his banishment didn't stop your Mother from seeking him out years later when Henrik died. You see, _Kaspar_ was the one who brought your brother back. And he's whose help we need now…"

Elijah waited as Misha paused for a moment then continued tentatively in their native tongue as if afraid to say what he had to say in English.

"Han kan heve de døde…og embue dem med sjelene til de levende"

_He can raise the dead and imbue them with the souls of the living._

Elijah gasped

"He's a necromancer."

# # # # #

As they sat down across from each other in a far corner booth, Kol looked down his nose at the table décor and the menus the waitress sat in front of them, refusing to touch anything, much to Rebekah's amusement.

"Now Kol," she chided good naturedly as she picked up her menu and opened it, then leaned across the table to her brother, "Don't be a baby. It's been hours since we've fed, we need to keep up our strength until we can find a blood supply."

Just then, a middle aged waitress with a gentile smile and a blonde, page boy haircut appeared at their side.

"Hi, my name is Linda and I'll be your server this afternoon. May I start you off with something to drink?" she asked, automatically as she pulled her order pad from the apron around her waist.

Kol looked the waitress up and down with a smoldering stare.

"Why, _yes_, you can," he smiled, leaning closer

"Umm…" Rebekah interjected quickly before Kol could get any ideas, "We'll have two Cokes, Please."

"Diet or Regular?" the waitress asked, not looking up from her pad

"I don't diet," Kol said smoothly, still looking the waitress over

"Regular is fine," Rebekah said, making eye contact with the waitress when she finally looked up, as she kicked Kol's leg under the table.

"That hurt," Kol whispered across the table when the waitress left.

"Could you be any more _obvious?_" Rebekah sneered as she pulled her menu in front of her face again.

Kol wrinkled his nose and finally picked up his own menu.

"I was just having fun," he said under his breath as he began perusing the pages.

After a moment, he looked up over the menu at his sister.

"Hey, do you think we could compel her into giving us free pie?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Bekah," Kol said, looking to the pages again, "I think I am doing pretty well considering."

"Twenty four hours in the general circulation without slaughter and mayhem," Rebekah quipped as she flipped her menu over to look at the specials, "Is this a record for you?"

"Probably," Kol smirked sadly, putting down his menu

Rebekah sighed, silently reprimanding herself

"I'm sorry, Kol," she lamented, "I shouldn't have said that—"

"No," Kol replied, holding a hand up to silence her, "You're comment is justified."

Before Rebekah could counter, the waitress returned with their drinks.

After placing the straws on the table, she turned to the siblings.

"Are we ready to order?" she asked

"Could we have another minute or two?" Rebekah asked

"Sure, Hon," the waitress replied and disappeared

After a moment's pause, Rebekah leaned forward and placed her hand over her brother's.

"Kol, I haven't had a chance to thank you…for coming after me. You were kind to do so since I know how hard it must be for you. I want you to know that I'm proud of you. I shouldn't make fun of your progress. You are doing _really _well."

"Well, I made a promise to Elijah," Kol replied in a low voice, his gaze moving to the window

Rebekah smiled softly, "So, he's there, too, is he? In the back of your mind?"

"Yeah," Kol smirked, moving his eyes back to his sister, "When I feel like I'm going to lose control, I can hear his voice, pulling me back."

Rebekah let go of Kol's hand and sat back against the vinyl seat, suddenly thinking of her own experience hours earlier when she was starving on the bus and seriously considering draining the teenage girl next to her dry.

"Me, too." she said

"You know, Bekah," Kol said as he opened his straw, "We haven't really had a chance to talk about it, but I hope you know that Elijah did what he did for your own good—sending you away…"

Rebekah's heart dropped as she looked away, trying to keep her emotions in check as she replayed her confrontation with Elijah the day before over in her head.

"Really?" she scoffed, "How's that?"

"Now, hang on," Kol said, tossing the paper aside and plopping the straw into his glass, "Before you get all emotional, just remember that I've hummed along to your little pitty ditty for the last twenty four hours, and you've already gotten your jab in at _me_. I think I deserve the mike for a minute."

Rebekah folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow, waiting for Kol to speak.

Kol eyed his sister for a moment and took a deep breath.

"Bekah, we've taken care of you your whole life—Finn, Elijah, Nik and me. We've given you _everything_ and sometimes, let you get away with _far more_ than you should have. Of course, I was practically 'dark side' back then, so I didn't really have too much of a role in what happened to you, but that doesn't mean I didn't care then or that I don't now. Our biggest fault was that we loved you _so much_ and after Mother died, we just wanted to protect you, to fill the void left in your life by so much loss by nurturing you and spoiling you. I guess the point is that what you did with Elena—it finally crossed the line, Bekah, especially where Elijah, forever our moral compass, is concerned. Now, part of what he said and did came from anger and grief and you can't judge him for that, because what you did and said _also_ came from the same place,"

Kol sighed as he took a sip of his Coke, then continued

"Face it. You messed up little sister and this time, Elijah decided to finally be the older brother in this situation and dole out the consequences."

"So you're siding with him?" Rebekah asked, narrowing her eyes

"Yes, I am." Kol nodded and Rebekah sighed

"But," Kol continued, "I also know _this_—It killed Elijah to do and say what he did. He meant every word he said, yes, but I'm betting you that this 'exile' thing won't last forever. Everything he does—everything _we do _as your brothers—we do to protect you, Rebekah. He probably knew that he had to force you to leave. I know that's what I would do if I knew the Salvatore brothers were pissed off and still out there wielding a stake."

Rebekah's face softened as she took in her brother's words.

"And I'm guessing," Kol whispered, sitting forward, "That _you_ won't stay mad at him forever, either."

Rebekah took a breath and blinked slowly

"You love our crazy big brother don't you?" Kol smirked, chiding softly, "Come on...We'll text him later and call him 'Ejah'…_he hates that."_

Rebekah's face slowly broke out into a small smile.

"We ready?" a voice interrupted and Kol and Rebekah saw the waitress by their side once more

"Yes," Rebekah replied, sitting up, "I would like the vegetarian omelet with no tomatoes and wheat toast, please."

She handed her menu to the waitress and turned her eyes to Kol.

"And you?" the waitress said, acknowledging Kol, but not looking up from her order pad, flipping over the page

"I'll have the apple pie," Kol said, winking at Rebekah and handing the menu up to the waitress.

"Thanks, kids," the waitress smiled, folding the menus under her arm, "I'll get those right in for you."

Then she was gone.

"Now," Rebekah said, turning to her purse on the seat at her side, "that apple pie isn't going to hold you over for long, let's find us some blood."

"Oh, let's hit up the Red Cross," Kol offered, "They have the freshest blood… can we?"

Rebekah smiled as she pulled out her Iphone and lit up the screen.

Suddenly, her face fell when she saw that she had a missed call.

It was from Misha and there was a voice-mail.

"Rebekah?" Kol asked, concerned

Rebekah shook her head as she hit the voice-mail button, "I turned off my phone when I left the house. Didn't really want to talk to anyone, but it looks like Misha tried to call me. Hang on."

She pulled the phone to her ear and listened to the message as Kol waited impatiently, drumming his fingers on the table.

After a few moments, a surprised look crossed Rebekah's face, then it looked like all the blood drained out of it at once.

"Bekah?" Kol asked again, sitting forward anxiously

Rebekah lowered the phone from her ear solemnly and turned it off

"Oh, God," she whispered, "Nik's alive and Elijah's in trouble—we gotta go—"

"Go? Who? What? Where? What's going on?" Kol asked at once, trying to get his bearing as he watched Rebekah throw the phone in her purse, then pull out a fifty dollar bill from her wallet and toss it onto the table as she slung the bag over her shoulder.

"Family drama, _as usual,_" she stated as she slid out of the booth, "We're going back to Mystic Falls."

"Hold on—"

"Let's go, Kol!" Rebekah urged as she rounded the table and grabbed her brother by his shirt collar, as Misha had instructed in the voicemail, and yanked him to his feet.

"Wait! What about my pie?" he cried as Rebekah let him down the aisle toward the door.


	10. Chapter 10

**_((Hey all, I know it's been a while and I'm sorry I couldn't write more, but after this Elijah/Elena scene, I was emotionally drained. LOL! No worries though, as soon as I get my strength back, I will be back on wagon!:) Enjoy!))_**

"If Kaspar is our best option to put Klaus in Ioan's body, then we should find him as soon as possible. Do you know where he is?"

"Honestly, no." Misha sighed heavily into his receiver, "I've heard things now and then over the centuries, but we don't exactly send each other Christmas cards every year. I could do a locator spell, but I'm not sure how long it will take. I'm betting that Kaspar's packing some serious mojo and I'm also betting that since necromancers are not taken to kindly, even in the magic community, he's probably using a good portion of it to stay under the radar."

There was a pause as Elijah took a breath, then closed his eyes

"How long do you think my brother has in Tyler's body?"

"I really don't know, Elijah…" Misha replied, "I'm sorry."

Elijah opened his eyes and cleared his throat to keep it from breaking with emotion.

"You said he had Bonnie spell his hideout so that only I can enter. Do you think you could find out where it is?"

"Elijah, I don't think going to Klaus before we have all of our ducks in a row is a smart idea. He spelled his hideout to protect his temporary body. Trying to find Niklaus before we can perform the proper rituals could leave him vulnerable to the Esther or the Salvatores or a number of people in Mystic Falls who still want him dead."

Elijah nodded silently for a moment, then spoke, relenting.

"I'm sorry, you're right…I just…"

"Elijah?"

"I just don't want him to be alone." Elijah whispered finally

"I understand," Misha said softly, "I know you're worried about him and I promise you I'll work as fast as I can on this and if we don't have Kaspar's location in a few hours, we'll abandon the idea and do the rituals with Bonnie."

Elijah considered this for a moment, then said, "Call me back when you can."

"I will," Misha replied and suddenly, Elijah heard the doorbell to Misha's house ring in the background, "Sounds like the first of my afternoon appointments is here, Elijah, I've got to go."

Then Misha's phone clicked and the line went dead.

Elijah sighed again, pulling the phone down from his ear and hitting the end button.

"Elijah?" a weak voice sounded nearby

Elijah pushed himself off the hallway wall and turned to see Elena leaning on the door frame behind him.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Elijah said, giving a small smile as he slipped the phone into his pocket and stepped forward.

He immediately brought Elena's right arm around his neck, taking her weight off of the door frame and onto him as they crossed the threshold back into Stefan's bedroom.

"I woke up and you were gone," Elena said softly, resting her chin on his shoulder, as he walked her slowly back to the bed "Then I heard your voice in the hallway."

"I was just talking to an old friend, he's been helping me tie up some lose ends." Elijah said as he stopped and turned her across his body, then lifted her into his arms and laid her down effortlessly on the bed.

Elena's face softened as she watched him lean over and bring the blanket at the end of the bed over her legs, then place two pillows behind her head.

As he pulled back to stand at her bedside, she reached for his left hand and took it into hers.

"Do you need anything?" Elijah asked, concern crossing his face at her sudden gesture

"I have what I need," Elena smiled, then after a moment's pause continued, boring her eyes into his, "I want to thank you for coming, Elijah. I know this has to be hard for you after everything that's happened with your family, but I want you to know that it means a lot to me."

"Elena—"

Elena took a breath and continued, the tears starting to well in her eyes, "I know that Stefan and Damon and Jeremy and my friends…I know they're trying to help with the transition and all. But right now, what I really need is someone who will listen to what I want, someone who won't judge my decision and who'll be there for me without saying a word…and that has always been you, Elijah. _You've_ been exactly what I've needed since I've transitioned. I could never repay you for what you've done...how you've stayed with me."

Elijah's face softened and instantly he felt his heart melt and his mind go numb.

He opened his mouth to speak, but found no words.

All he could do was lean forward and smooth her hair with his free hand, then bring his lips to her forehead, leaving a soft kiss as the tears fell down her cheeks.

When he pulled back, they stared at each other in silence for a few moments before Elena released his hand and brought both of hers to her face to wipe under her eyes.

"Alright, enough with the Lifetime movie moment," she smiled and Elijah chuckled as he brought the blanket up higher around her as he sat down on the side of the bed.

After another pause, Elena spoke, looking him up and down, "I like the outfit, by the way."

Elijah looked down at his v-necked white shirt and stone washed jeans.

"Thanks, my last suit got ruined. My friend, Misha, loaned them to me."

"They look good on you." Elena smiled again, absentmindedly reaching out to touch the cotton shirt in the center of his chest, just below the collar.

Elijah watched as her hand moved from the shirt to rest over the silver ring on the chain around his neck.

"What's this?" she asked, looking up to him as she fingered it

"It was a gift that was given to me a long time ago," he said softly, searching her eyes as he brought his hand around hers, removing it from the ring, "I thought I lost it, but I recently got it back."

"I know the feeling," Elena whispered, keeping eye contact with Elijah as their hands lowered onto the bed next to her.

After another pause, Elijah finally brought himself to break eye contact with her, sitting back and looking at his hands nervously.

There was so much he suddenly wanted to say to her.

He had feelings, he had regrets…he didn't know where to start.

Finally, he spoke.

"So, how—how do you feel since—"

But Elena cut him off.

"Since the whole dying thing?" Elena quipped softly, closing her eyes, "Really, _really_, tired. And a little hungry, too."

"That's normal," Elijah replied in a low, distant voice

"You're not going to offer me a blood bag like the others, are you?" Elena joked with a raised eyebrow, "Because that would defeat your whole purpose of being here, mister-"

"Is that what you want?" Elijah retorted solemnly, turning to her

Elena's face fell a little, "No…I just—"

"Alright, then," Elijah nodded, taking in a breath, his nostrils flaring

"Elijah?" Elena finally asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she suddenly realized his emotional turmoil, and sat forward, reaching for him, "How do _you_ feel?"

Elijah took a sharp breath and stood, moving away from Elena's grasp

"Me? I feel a lot of things right now, Elena. I just—" he looked up to the ceiling, then blurted out, "How could Rebekah do this to you?"

Elena shook her head, "Elijah, you're not going to do that. I'm not angry at her—it's not important—"

"What do you mean it's _not important_?!" Elijah cried, throwing his hands in the air, "She _killed_ you, Elena! And worse, it's all my fault…"

"The who and the how is _not important_, Elijah, not now… not anymore" Elena said, throwing the blankets of herself as she moved to the edge of the bed, "And how is this _your fault_? It's fate. We can't change what happened—"

"Well, fate's not fair," Elijah countered angrily, trying to hold his emotions together as he stood in front of Elena trying to keep from crumbling.

"What is this _really_ about?" Elena whispered, shaking her head in confusion as she watched Elijah take deep breaths, bringing his hands to his hips to steady himself.

Elijah bit his lip as he finally stepped forward, kneeling in front of Elena.

"Forgive me...it's wrong of my me to force you feel what you don't feel. This isn't about you, it's about me…" he said softly, looking up into her eyes, "I wanted it to be different for you, Elena. I promised myself after I first met you, when I realized how _good_ and _pure_ and _special_ you were, that you would be the doppelganger that lived—and I mean that _really_ lived. You would be the one who would get to do what Liliya and Katerina never did—live a _human life_. I wanted to see you grow to adulthood and fall in love…_a lot_," Elijah smirked as he watched the tears start to trickle down Elena's face at his words, "Go to college, find a career, find a husband, have a family if you wanted to and die an old, _old_ woman in your own bed after living an extraordinary life. I wanted _all of that for you_, Elena. But now, that's not going to happen and I'm just _so angry_ for you and I have so many regrets…"

"But, Elijah, _this _isn't your fault." Elena said, shaking her head as she sniffed

"Yes it is." Elijah whispered, nodding, his face starting to crumble, "Klaus, Rebekah…I could have stopped it all sooner. I _could have_—Deep down, I just didn't _want to_…God, I should have protected you—"

"Elijah, listen to me," Elena said, taking his face into her hands, "This isn't about what you did or didn't do. It's just _fate_."

Elijah searched her face for a few moments, his mind suddenly filling with memories of both Liliya and Katerina—happy moments and sad moments all running together in a large collage of images. When it subsided, all he was left with were his memories of Elena.

"Well, now fate has taken everything from me…" he said softly, "Including you."

"No." Elena replied, her face solemnly as their eyes met, "You haven't lost me…not yet, anyway."

Elijah quickly looked away as he felt the tears start to well in his eyes.

He pulled out of Elena's grasp and moved to the chair next to the bed and sat down slowly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered,

"Don't be," Elena replied softly, swallowing back her emotions, "I guess I didn't realize that you—that you cared so much about what happened to me, even back then—"

"I still do," Elijah interrupted, looking up to Elena, then shook his head, pulling himself together, "I'm sorry I let my feelings get the better of me. Forgive me, I—I was selfish. You're right. What's done is done. We can't change the past, all we can do is move forward and deal with the consequences. You want me here, so I'm here for you …" He brought his gaze back to her as he leaned forward in the chair, "What do you want to do?"

Elena wiped her face and straightened, taking a deep breath.

"Honestly?" she whispered letting her face fall, "I don't know."

Elijah nodded reassuringly, "That's alright. You don't have to decide right now."

Elena licked her lips, looking down to her hands shaking in her lap.

"Elijah, if I ask you a question, will you promise to tell me the truth?"

Elijah straightened in his chair, "Always,"

Elena took a breath, then looked up to the original

"How long do I have? To turn…I mean…" she asked, her voice unsure, "How long before I die?"

Elijah's face flinched in pain for a moment then he forced himself to stand from the chair and come to sit next to her on the bed once more.

"Well, it depends on your age," he said, rubbing his hands nervously on his thighs, "You were young and strong and healthy before you transitioned so…maybe three days."

"It's already been about twenty four hours," Elena whispered, reasoning the math in her head, "so, two days left…"

"If you don't feed before sunset at the end of the second day…." Elijah trailed off, then he looked down as he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"No," Elena said softly, turning to face him, "Thank You for being honest with me."

Elijah smirked sadly as he nodded, watching her turn away from him again, focusing her eyes down in thought

After another moment of silence, she spoke again.

"Would you mind leaving me alone for awhile?" she asked in a quiet voice, "I'm tired and I have some thinking to do."

"Of course," Elijah said quickly, standing so that she could lie back on the bed, but immediately stopped when he felt Elena catch his hand again.

"You won't go far, right?" Elena smirked, looking up to him

"No." Elijah said squeezing her hand as he turned back to face her

"You're word?" Elena quipped

Elijah smirked as he crossed his free hand over his heart then raised it, "I give you my word. If you need me, just ask."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Elena said as released his hand and lay back on the bed, pulling the blanket back over herself, "and I'm also going to hold you personally responsible if Stefan and Damon come back up here with blood bags."

Elijah stroked her hair affectionately before placing his hand on her shoulder.

"You know that they both love you, Elena, and because they love you, that they don't want to lose you."

Elena pulled the blanket closer as she let out a trembled breath and suddenly, Elijah could see the facade start to crumble.

"Can I tell you something?" she asked softly, pursing her lips together in a frown

Elijah nodded, his brow furrowing in concern

"I knew from the beginning, deep down, that if you loved someone who lived forever, _you_ would have to live forever, too. And I do love—"

Elena immediately stopped, closing her eyes, seemingly unable to admit her decision between the two Salvatore brothers, if she had indeed made it, to herself.

"I love them," she continued, her eyes opening and focusing on Elijah, "But, I always thought I would have more time, you know? I—I always thought that it was better to live in the moment than worry about the future. But, now the future is here and wants a decision before nightfall in two days and I don't know what to do…I _really_ don't. I don't want to hurt anyone and that's what I feel like I'm doing."

"Elena-"

"If I become a vampire, Stefan and Damon—they'll want me to choose…and—and if I don't turn, they'll hate me. They'll think I'm selfish and a martyr and that I don't care about them _or_ my friends and how they feel. But, they don't seem to care about how _I'm _feeling about this _whole situation_…"

Elijah's face softened as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to Elena, bringing his hand from her shoulder to the side of her face.

"Just remember, it's not _their_ decision, Elena. _It's yours_. It's always been yours."

Elena nodded as she continued, "I know. I just wish I wasn't so confused. I've always known what I wanted. Everything was always so clear... It's just-"

She stopped, taking in Elijah's face for a moment before she continued.

"I don't want to be a vampire, Elijah. I've _never_ wanted to be one…"

Elijah closed his eyes.

He sensed her feelings from the beginning. Somehow, he had always known that if it came down to it, dying would be her choice. It had been her choice when she had forced Stefan to sacrifice her to save Matt Donovan in the truck. And, his mind, he respected that, but there were moments where his heart wished differently.

"But, now…" Elena suddenly continued, causing Elijah to open his eyes at her words, "I don't want to die, either."

Elijah took in a sharp breath, meeting her eyes.

After a moment, he gathered his thoughts and responded

"Well, you know I'll be here for you, no matter what you choose," he said finally, stroking her cheek, trying to keep his voice from breaking.

Elena nodded

"I'll leave you to your thoughts then." he said quietly, pulling his hand back and standing from the bed, moving across the room to the bedroom door.

As he reached door knob, he looked back over his shoulder at Elena, who had now closed her eyes and turned on her side, bringing the blanket around her like a burrito.

A small smile crossed Elijah face at the sight, and after a moment, he crossed through the threshold, bringing the door to shut softly behind him.

Should he dare let himself hope that she might change her mind?

He would never influence Elena, of course.

It was her decision and he would let her make it, just like if Liliya had lived and they had gotten married-he would have let her make her own decision whether to become a vampire or stay human.

But, he couldn't guarantee his feelings on the subject, even back then. No matter what the outcome, he did still have feelings.

Out in the hallway, Elijah let his face crumble as he leaned back on the door and closed his eyes, finally revealing what he was thinking the entire time he was with Elena, but couldn't say out loud.

"I don't want you die, either," he whispered


	11. Chapter 11

"Well, if it isn't the original that I love to hate," came a voice at the end of the hallway

Elijah raised his head from the back of the door and opened his eyes, turning it to face the oldest Salvatore brother, now approaching him through the rays of sunlight spilling in through the stain glass windows on the west side of the house.

"Hello, Damon." Elijah said softly, pushing himself off of the wood

"How's our girl?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow

"Still scared, confused, angry, emotional, and tired…you know…the usual fare for someone in transition." Elijah replied, moving his way past Damon as he headed toward the main staircase at the end of the hallway, " So, I would stay way for the time being, maybe come back in an hour or so, and if I were you, I wouldn't be packing any blood on you."

"I thought you were supposed to make it _all better_." Damon chided, watching after the original

"I may be able to understand what she's going through and offer support, Damon, but I'm no miracle worker." Elijah said over his shoulder

"Wait. Where are you going?" Damon asked, narrowing his eyes

Elijah turned back

"Elena asked for some time alone…" he shrugged, "So, I'm giving her some time alone."

"You're just going to _leave_?"

Elijah stepped forward

"Yes, Damon," he said sternly, locking eyes with younger vampire, "_I am_."

Damon opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, only a look of utter confusion crossed his face.

After a moment's pause, Elijah stepped closer, placing his hands in his pockets and rolling forward on the balls of his feet.

"You grew up with horses, am I right?" he asked with a smirk

"_What?_" Damon asked, shaking his head in disbelief

"_Hor-ses_," Elijah enunciated, leaning forward, "you lived during the Civil War, correct? There _were_ horses?"

"Wait…what?" Damon asked again, before his thoughts finally came into focus, "Uh…yes, I suppose so…_why_?"

"Because Mr. Salvatore, if you had spent any time around horses, you would know that they are just like people. Now, my brother, Niklaus, he would tell you that they were the _opposite _of people, but then, he always had a special kinship with horse that he _didn't_ have with people. Horses could see the good side of him, I suppose…" Elijah sighed, looking away as he trailed off in thought

"What does this have to do with _anything_?" Damon asked, raising his hands in exasperation, "Least of all, Elena."

Elijah brought his attention back to Damon.

"Believe it or not, before I became a vampire, I spent most of my life ferrying horses."

"I'll call People magazine," Damon mused

Elijah gave him a stern look and continued, "Elena, is a lot like a horse—"

"Well, I'll tell her you said that," Damon winked, "That should win me back some brownie points—"

"Elena is beautiful, independent and spirited," Elijah continued, raising his voice slightly to get Damon's attention back, "she is also vulnerable in many respects. When you shoe a horse, everyone knows that you don't approach the horse aggressively or from the back and just grab the leg and start nailing, you are libel to get kicked…_hard_."

"Sounds like you know from experience," Damon said, flaring his nostrils in amusement as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Let's just say my Father believe in teaching life skills the hard way," Elijah smirked in fond remembrance, then continued, "Anyway, after a getting kicked a few times, you learn that horses are large, majestic animals that should be approached in plain sight with _respect _and very calmly. Touch is very important to let the animal know that you mean them no harm and that you are there for them. You slowly work your way to the leg and after gently lifting the joint, start shoeing, but only after you feel you have earned the respect of the horse. Remember, that it is _always _the horse's choice."

Damon eyed Elijah silently for a moment, before unfolding his arms in defeat.

"You're saying that I've screwed up and that I need to earn back Elena's trust by not offering to feed her blood every ten minutes."

"You're a quick study, Mr. Salvatore," Elijah commended, "A _little_ abrasive, but quick. Listen to what Elena really wants and when you don't have something supportive or enlightened to say,_ don't say anything at all_. I know that's hard for you because you want to protect her, but she's in transition to possibly become a vampire—there's nothing left to protect her from anymore. Just be there for her .That's what she needs right now…that's what she's _always _needed."

Damon bit his lip and nodded

"I'll have my cell." Elijah said, patting his jean pocket as he turned back toward the stairs, "Call me if you need me."

"Hold on. Why are you telling me this?" Damon suddenly asked, stepping forward

Elijah scoffed as he turned back, then smiled sadly

"Because, fate dealt me a hand many years ago, Damon—a hand that broke me…" he paused, "And because, I shouldn't really be the one in there with her Damon … It should be _one of you. _When this whole thing happened, she should have asked for you or Stefan, not me. But apparently, you have been kicked by the horse too many times. So, this is me giving you a little friendly advice and I sincerely hope you take it, especially if she _does _transition."

Damon narrowed his eyes

"Before she died, she didn't choose me," Damon confided in a quiet tone, "She chose Stefan,"

"It doesn't matter," Elijah said shaking his head, "Not now. It's in the past. Do you still care about her?"

"Yes." Damon said confidently

"Then be that _one_, Damon. It's a whole new ball game…it's not too late."

Damon cocked his head in surprise and inquiry, but before he could ask Elijah what his stake in all of this was, the older vampire spoke first.

"Let's just say that I'm still rooting for _you,_ Mr. Salvatore," Elijah said with a raised eyebrow as he turned on his heel and started walking down the hallway again

"Why?" Damon called, watching Elijah's back as he started to descend the stairs.

"Because," Elijah said under his breath with a smile, "You remind me of me…"

# # # # # # #

Misha bounded down the stairs, straightening his appearance as he hopped off the last step and pulled the latch on the front door.

When he opened it, he had expected to see Mrs. Garcia, his 1:45 appointment, but instead, saw the youngest Mikaelson siblings milling on the front porch.

"Hello," Rebekah smiled, holding out a short stack of envelopes and a coupon mailer, "I rescued your mailman before Kol could drain him dry."

"It's not my fault," Kol interjected, "You dragged me out of Mayberry before I could get a decent bite to eat. I'm _famished,_"

"Um…Thanks, I guess…" Misha smirked awkwardly as he reached out for the mail, then looked back and forth between the siblings, before looking down to his watch, "How did you get here so fast?"

"Took the bus half way, then marathon sped it." Kol yawned

"You _ran_ here?" Misha asked, stunned

"Yep. And I'm definitely getting up there in years. It's not as easy as it used to be. I'm _wiped! _Mind if I just take a flop on your couch?" Kol asked as he stepped toward the threshold

"Uh—yeah…" Misha said, stepping aside and shaking his head, still trying to process their arrival on his doorstep within a few short hours of his call, "Go right ahead. Come in."

"Thanks," Kol smiled as he slid past him into the front hallway and disappeared into the front parlor.

"So, where's Elijah?" Rebekah asked tentatively as she too walked through the threshold, looking around as she dropped her bag on the Mexican tile and started to unbutton her jacket

Misha sighed as he closed the door behind her and turned to face her

"He's with Elena, helping her through her transition." He said, setting the stack of mail on one of the side tables.

"Of course he is," Rebekah scoffed then furrowed her brow and lowered her voice, "And Nik? Is it really true he's alive?"

"Yes." Misha nodded

"I can't believe it." Rebekah whispered, her eyes widening a little, "I watched Alaric stake him with my own eyes…I saw his body burst into flames…"

Misha placed a hand on her shoulder, "You should know that he's back, but he's not _exactly_ like he was."

"What do you mean?" Rebekah asked in a worried tone, "He's alright isn't he?"

"Oh, he's fine and dandy, but it's his spirit that's alive, not his body. As you said before, you yourself saw it destroyed—"

"Then how?"

"Bonnie did an essence transfer before Alaric staked him. He's using someone else's body."

" I remember you said something about that in the voice-mail…whose body is he using?"

"Tyler Lockwood's" Misha said finally

Rebekah took a step back, raising an eyebrow, "_Whoa…"_

"I know, right?" Misha smirked

Rebekah took a breath, "So what's the plan?"

"Well, Niklaus can't stay in Tyler's body forever," Misha continued, " As I said on the phone, it's just meant to be a temporary vessel. We need to do a ritual to put Klaus' essence into a compatible body before we run out of time."

"And before Elena and her friends figure out that Tyler is alive and that, well...he's _not exactly_ Tyler."

"Yes."

"_And_ before my Mother can kill both him _and_ Elijah," Rebekah added

"Exactly."

"Wait," Rebekah asked, furrowing her brow, "What do you mean by a 'compatible body'?"

"_Oh, Honey_," Misha sighed, reaching down and picking up her bag off the floor and slinging it over his shoulder, carrying it for her as he guided her down the hallway toward the kitchen, "We are going to get you and your brother some blood and then we are all going to go down memory lane together."

"What?" Rebekah asked, quizzically looking over at the warlock, "What do you mean?"

"I mean we are going to introduce you and Kol to your long lost brother."

"But, we don't _have _a long lost brother," Rebekah chided as they rounded the end of the hallway and Misha held the door to the kitchen open for her

"You _will,"_ he smiled

# # # # # # # #

It had been only minutes since Elijah left, but if felt like hours as Elena lay curled up on Stefan's bed in one of his wool Pendleton blankets.

Maybe it was the transition that made the time fly by so quickly.

Or maybe it was that she was alone?

She wasn't sure.

All she knew was that, if Elijah was right, she only had two days.

Elena sighed heavily, closing her eyes tight as she wrapped the blanket closer around her.

God, she couldn't believe this was happening. She would finally have to do it—open that Pandora's box that held her future—that box that she had been avoiding like the plague for most of her teenage years.

Well, now fate was handing her a crowbar and telling her to hack it open.

Great.

_I think I know what I want…"_ she thought to herself as she opened her eyes again, "_But then again, I don't, not really…Oh, God, what am I going to do?_

"Well, the first thing you can do is stop feeling sorry for yourself." a soft voice sounded from across the room

Elena jerked up, letting out a startled cry as she threw one side of the blanket off of her and she scrambled back toward the headboard.

She scanned the room quickly and found the source of the voice within moments.

Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of _herself_ sitting in a chair near the bay window.

Her skin was darker and her hair was wavier, but Elena was pretty sure it was her own reflection looking back at her…

Or was it?

"K—Katherine?" she asked tentatively, bringing the blanket closer around her shoulders as if it would protect her.

"No." the young woman smiled politely

Elena's breath caught.

_That smile._

She knew it from someplace…but where?

Sweet…

Kind…

Compassionate…

This definitely _wasn't_ Katherine.

She searched her mind for a few moments as the young woman waited patiently, folding her hands in her lap over her white cotton dress and shook her braided hair off of one shoulder.

Suddenly, it came to her and Elena's face broke out in a small smile of her own.

"You're the original doppelganger…" she whispered, instantly remembering Klaus' drawing

"My name is Liliya," the young woman replied in a kind, soft voice, "Liliya Petrova."

"Of course," Elena said, shaking her head, "I'm sorry."

Liliya nodded in acknowledgement, "It's nice to finally meet you, Elena."

She then straightened in the chair as a silence suddenly fell between the two women.

"No offense," Elena finally spoke up, sitting forward tentatively, "but why are you here?"

"You called me." Liliya said matter –of-factly

"_What?_" Elena replied, stunned

"You're wearing my necklace," Liliya smiled, pointing to the engraved wooden heart around Elena's neck

Elena reached down and fingered the trinket that Elijah had given her when he left town weeks before, then looked up.

"And?" she encouraged, raising an eyebrow

"And…" Liliya smiled, "It brought me to you. You want help, don't you? Guidance?"

"Yes," Elena said softly, "but—"

"Well, here I am," Liliya interjected, "Not exactly fate, or a fairy godmother, I admit, but definitely someone who can understand what you are going through."

"Really?" Elena scoffed softly in disbelief, "How's that?"

Liliya smirked, "A destiny thrust upon you that you can't control…Torn between two brothers—"

"But you made your choice," Elena interrupted, "You chose Elijah,"

"Yes, I did." Liliya smiled, lowering her eyes for a moment as if in fond remembrance, then looked up again at Elena, "And you have too, Elena. You just haven't admitted the reality of it to yourself yet. Just like the fact that, deep down, you've already made a decision regarding your mortality, you just don't want to face it."

Elena took a deep breath and swallowed nervously, casting her eyes away.

"Elena," Liliya whispered, leaning forward, "I'm here to tell you that it's okay to be scared by your decisions…"

Elena nodded, tears starting to form in her eyes

"I _am_ scared," she whispered

Liliya took a short breath as she rose from the chair and crossed the room to Elena, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, turning to face her descendent as she reached out and placed a hand on Elena's blanket clad knee.

"You are a survivor, Elena. I should know—you are made from my blood," Liliya smiled, "You can be scared all you wish, but don't ever doubt yourself. Trust your instincts, listen to your heart over your mind and you'll never make a wrong decision."

"If I do that…" Elena whispered, the tears starting to fall down her cheeks, "_Everything _will change."

Liliya smirked as she leaned forward and wiped a tear streak from Elena's left cheek

"Maybe, it was always meant to, Elena."


	12. Chapter 12

_**(Gentle readers, I'm sorry this isn't a long update. I was only in an Elijah/ Elena/ Liliya mood today. I'm hoping to get back to Klaroline and Misha and the rest of the gang real soon, it's just my intellectual capacities are stretched a little thin at the moment. Hope you can forgive me. Enjoy!))**_

"I don't think I'm ready for that." Elena whispered, sniffing as she wiped the edge of the blanket draped over her hand under her nose

"No one is _ever_ ready for their life to change, Elena, but it does. You just have to decide whether to hold on or to let go." Liliya encouraged, "But I'll tell you that holding on is _completely_ worth it."

Elena nodded, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath

"You still have two days," Liliya continued, "Two days to _do_ whatever you want and _see_ whomever you want—to reconcile yourself to your decision and make peace with your future. Take it. And if you need me again, just close your eyes and ask for me. The necklace will bring me to you."

Elena nodded again, wiping her tears, "Thank You."

"I wish I could do more to help, but it seems your mind is already made up," Liliya shrugged, "All I can do is tell you it's going to be okay,"

Elena bit her lip, continuing to wipe her eyes as Liliya leaned forward

"It's going to be _okay_, Elena," she whispered and smiled softly

Elena chuckled, a small smile crossing her face.

Just then, there was a knock at the bedroom door.

Elena jumped, startled, but Liliya calmly stood from the edge of the bed.

"Wait," Elena said, turning from the door to the original doppelganger, "Where are you going?"

"I'll just leave you two alone," Liliya nodded with a gentle smile as another knock pulled Elena's attention back to the door, "You're destiny is knocking. I wouldn't keep him waiting, Elena."

"What?" Elena asked, confused as she turned back to Liliya, but found she had disappeared.

# # # # # # #

Elijah sat under the shade of a large oak tree on the far grounds of the Salvatore estate, resting his back against the trunk as he picked up fallen leaves and tore them apart with his fingers.

"Hey handsome," a sweet voice whispered in his ear

Elijah smiled and dropped the pieces of the last leaf to the ground, turning his head to see Liliya sitting beside him.

"I didn't expect to see _you_ here," he said as he studied her face

"I'm always here, remember?" Liliya chided softly, nudging his shoulder playfully before meeting his eyes solemnly as she whispered, "I never left."

"Forever my guiding light." he replied as he brought his left hand to stroke her cheek

"Well, it seems, not just _yours_…" Liliya smiled

"What do you mean?" Elijah asked curiously, dropping his hand and sitting forward, shifting his body to face her

"I just left Elena," Liliya said, nodding toward the Salvatore Mansion, "We had a little heart to heart,"

"How is that possible?"

"The necklace," Liliya replied, "It called me to her."

There was a pause before Elijah spoke again nervously, "So…what did you talk about?"

"The usual doppelganger fare," Liliya smirked, "I don't believe I was much help or that she really _needed_ help. Her decisions have already been made, she just needed someone to tell her it was alright to make them."

"So she's decided…about turning?" Elijah asked tentatively

"I think she's known for awhile," Liliya nodded

"And?" Elijah encouraged

Liliya shrugged, smoothing out her dress

"I couldn't see into her thoughts."

Elijah sighed and picked up another leaf from the ground between them, twirling the stem between his fingers

"But she's made a solid choice in the other column?" he inquired

"The Salvatore Brothers? Yes," Liliya continued, "Let's just say her 'destiny' arrived just as I left."

"You know who it is?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow

"Yes." Liliya smirked

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Why do you want to know?" Liliya chided playfully, pulling the leaf out of his grasp

"Just curiosity," Elijah replied, smirking to himself, "I have a bet going with myself as to who it is."

There was a pause as Liliya looked down at the leaf in her hand, her face going placid.

"Liliya?" Elijah asked, leaning forward, studying her as she turned over her hand and let the leaf fall to the ground.

"I have to admit that I'm a little sad," Liliya whispered, staring at the leaf on the grass at her feet, "I thought she would have picked you."

There was a moment of silence between them as Elijah processed this, then responded

"No," Elijah smirked sadly, bringing his leg underneath him, "She doesn't love me."

"How do you know?" Liliya retorted, cocking her head, studying him

"Well, there is the connection like what _we_ had a thousand years ago, yes. And when I'm around her I feel…I feel _alive.._.like I'm on fire. And happier, too-happier than I've been in a _very_ long time. But, it's just friendship—comfort. She needs someone right now who'll be there for her, protect her, tell her the truth without asking for anything in return. It's nothing more than that."

"Are you sure?" Liliya asked, narrowing her eyes as Elijah turned away, "Do you _want _it to be something more?"

After another pause, and no response from Elijah, Liliya shook her head in disbelief

"I think you're both fools." she scoffed, "And _you,_ you shouldn't keep things bottled up in side. You deserve to be happy, Elijah—"

"Even if I _did_ feel _something_," Elijah interjected, "She's made her choice—and like you said, she probably made it along time ago. What good could it possibly do to talk about it or act upon it know?"

Liliya studied him for a long moment, then nodded, relenting, albeit disappointed in his lack of fight.

"I suppose you're right." She said with a sigh

"Thank You." Elijah said, his voice tinged with relief

"Looks like she's either going to choose the one who saved her—the one who makes her happy _to be_ alive or the one who sets her soul on fire, the one who makes her _feel_ alive?"

"Why are you saying it like there is a third choice?"

"Because the triangle has another side…" Liliya smirked, "You just won't _admit it."_

Elijah scoffed in disbelief and another silence fell between them as Liliya closed her eyes and lay her head back against the tree and Elijah sat, looking down to the grass in pensive thought.

After what felt like minutes, Elijah finally spoke, again.

"Liliya, can I ask you a question?"

Liliya opened her eyes, bringing her hand up to shield them from the sun as she turned toward him.

"Anything."

"If—if you hadn't died and we had gotten married like we planned…" Elijah said softly, "Would you have made the choice to stay human or would you have become a vampire?"

Liliya studied him for a moment with a mixture of surprise and reverence, then lowered her hand and sat forward, taking Elijah's hand gently

"Why do you ask?"

"It's just…taking to Elena, it made me think of us," he whispered, looking down to her hand in his, "What we had…what we lost."

Liliya closed her eyes in thought for a moment then squeezed his hand as she re-opened them, focusing her chocolate eyes on him.

"I would have turned," she replied, a small smile crossing her face as he looked up to meet her gaze

"You would have?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes," she nodded, "I know you would never force me. It _would have_ been my decision—what _I wanted."_

"Why?" Elijah asked, still stunned

"Because it wasn't just about our 'connection' as you call it, Elijah, it was about something else—something _deeper_—something I knew the instant I saw you a thousand years ago," Liliya said, leaning into him, her eyes still dancing with his, "Elena thinks she has made her decision, but there is something I considered long ago that she _needs to_ before she makes hers final."

"What's that?" Elijah asked in a whisper, his own eyes narrowing in curiosity as her eyes continued to draw him in just close enough that their noses almost touched.

"You shouldn't just choose the person who makes you glad you _are_ alive or that makes you _feel _alive…" Liliya said softly as she leaned in further, drawing her hand along the side of Elijah's jaw as she closed her eyes and brought her lips to his, kissing him deeply for a few moments before she pulled back, opening her eyes at the same time he did, taking in Elijah's face with a smile.

"You choose the person who makes you want to live forever," she whispered and Elijah smirked as he pulled her in for another long kiss.

# # # # # #

Elena took a deep breath as she tossed the blanket off her shoulders with as much courage as she could muster, letting it fall onto Stefan's bed as she stood and padded across the wooden floor to the door.

She closed her eyes to steady herself for a moment, then pulled the lock and opened the door, her eyes coming to focus on her 'destiny' as Liliya had called it.

And Elena had to say, that staring into her destiny's dark green eyes took her breath away.

But, then again, it always had.

She swallowed her nervousness as she took in the sight of him in the afternoon light, dressed in a dark blue dress shirt and jeans, his right hand raised, poised to knock again.

She continued to stare at him, wordlessly, and him her, as he lowered his hand and shoved it into his pocket, unsure what to do or say next.

He rolled back on his heels as he shoved the other hand into his pocket and smirked shyly.

Another few moments of awkward silence followed before Elena finally plucked up the courage to speak.

"Uh…would you like to come in, Damon?" she asked in a low, nervous voice, stepping aside

"Yes," he nodded, his eyes widening in surprise as Elena nodded in acknowledgement

"And don't worry," Damon smiled cockily, pulling his hands out of his jeans and turning out the pockets dramatically, "I come _unarmed_—no blood bags."

A small smile crossed Elena's face.

"Good," she said, her voice sounding a little more than relieved, "Maybe, I could just talk... and you could listen for once?"

Damon studied her across the threshold for a moment, with a soft gaze, Elijah's words to him earlier still racing through the back his mind.

"I'd like that," he finally responded, smiling sweetly


	13. Chapter 13

After their lips tangled for what felt like an eternity, Elijah pulled away gently-planting one last kiss on Liliya's nose as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I miss kissing you," he breathed against her skin, keeping his eyes closed as he inhaled her familiar scent.

"Even when you are kissing Elena?" Liliya smiled, opening her eyes when she felt him finally sit back on his heels.

He focused on her for a few moments before he replied, narrowing his eyes intently as he leaned into her.

"Always," he whispered, taking her left hand in his and bringing it up to rest on the side of his forehead, "In _here_…" then moved the hand down to his chest, placing it over his heart, "And in _here_."

Liliya smirked sadly, looking to her hand still resting on his chest.

She could feel his familiar muscles under his t-shirt and she closed her eyes to control how touching him made her suddenly feel.

"You should forget me." she said under her breath, looking away

"_Never_," Elijah said with trembled breath as he watched a tear drop fall down her left cheek.

"I never got a chance to say it before, but I'm so grateful I can see you again," he continued, bringing his other hand to brush the tear from her skin, "and _touch you_…It feels like I've waited forever..."

Liliya opened her wet eyes, once more, bringing them up to meet Elijah's.

"It won't last much longer, my love. I am only here to guide you—_all of you—_through what is to come and then I will be a memory again"

"What?" Elijah asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion, "I don't understand…"

Liliya sat up, pulling her hand out of Elijah's grasp and leaning back to look at him with a knowing look that suddenly spoke volumes.

_Of course,_ he should have known.

Why else would she appear to him so suddenly, a thousand years after her death?

Why else would she choose to appear to him first after Niklaus daggered him more than a month earlier?

"Something's coming…" Elijah said softly in sudden realization

Liliya nodded.

"She knew this would happen—Klaus and his hybrids—Esther and your siblings—Elena becoming a vampire. She summoned me and told me that I needed to watch out for you—guide you. Ayanna knows that _you_ are the key. You are the oldest and strongest of your family line. And once you know the truth, it all rests on you."

"Ayanna…" Elijah whispered fondly, remembering his mother's friend. Then she was there in his memories, smiling as she stood outside her hut near the center of the village, watching Misha, Elijah, Niklaus and Ioan play tag on the hillside.

After all these years, she was still looking out for him in ways his mother never had.

"That's why I saw you right after Niklaus daggered me after the ritual with Elena—" he suddenly breathed

"From then on, the plan was set in motion." Liliya nodded again

There was a pause as Elijah's mind raced and something came to the forefront of his thoughts—an idea.

"Wait, you haven't just shown yourself to me, am I right? You were able to show yourself to Elena."

"True," Liliya narrowed her eyes in curiosity, "I believe the necklace was the conduit. There was a connection that brought me to her."

Elijah's eyes widened suddenly, as he looked down to the ring on the chain around his neck, then back up at Liliya.

"What is it?" Liliya asked

Elijah took a deep breath as he absent-mindedly fingered the ring for a few moments.

It was a long shot that she would be able to do it. And of course, Misha had already told him that it could be dangerous—especially if they weren't fully prepared for the rituals—but there was something in Elijah's heart that told him that it was the right thing to do.

"It just has to be a connection between you and the person you're trying to contact?" he re-affirmed

"I suppose so, yes…" Liliya answered, watching as he quickly leaned forward, bowing his head as he removed the chain from around his neck.

He then took her right hand in his and opened it, pooling the ring and chain in her open palm before closing her fist tightly around it.

"I need you to do something for me." Elijah said softly

# # # # #

"So, let me get this straight..." Caroline scoffed good naturedly through the titanium door of the Lockwood Cellar, "You're basically stuck in this cellar that Bonnie has spelled shut, in Tyler's body that is basically a ticking time bomb until you can be transferred into your dead brother's body, until Elijah figures out what you coming to him in his dreams with cryptic messages all means and comes to the rescue?" Caroline scoffed through the titanium door of the Lockwood cellar

Suddenly, the sketchbook slid under the door

_**Long enough to get to the next level on Angry Birds **_

Caroline chuckled as she watched the sketchbook disappear and leaned back on the door, folding her arms across her chest and stretching her legs out, propping her heels onto the last two stone steps of the cellar stairs

She let out a long sigh, then heard a sliding noise on the concrete and the sketchpad appeared again

_**Don't worry. Bonnie has it under control**_

"I'm not worried," Caroline countered, trying to make her voice sound convincing, "I'm _not_...I'm just…"

She trailed off in thought, unable to finish her sentence as the sketchpad slid back under the door for a few moments, then reappeared at her side.

She could almost hear the cheekiness in Klaus voice on the paper as she read what he had written

_**You're worried**_

Caroline smirked as she unfolded her arms and sat up

"Well, do you have enough blood?" she asked, immediately noticing that she sounded too much like her own mother, "Do you need anything? I want to _help_… Is there something I can do?"

The sketchpad disappeared and reappeared

_** I have everything I need. It's just a waiting game now.**_

Caroline nodded to herself, somewhat relieved.

Okay, maybe she _was_ worried.

She was scared, yes, and a little confused right now.

And _frustrated_...frustrated because she wanted to see Klaus for herself in Tyler's eyes and know that it was all real.

She was also excited. Excited, ironically, that he was alive and…well… she wasn't sure _what _else she felt at the moment.

It was all hard to describe.

All she knew was that she couldn't go through the pain of losing someone…again. And that she wanted to be there for Klaus in this moment. She couldn't be there for anyone else right now. Bonnie and Elena had both shut her out and her Mom had told her to leave town.

She didn't have anywhere else pressing to be.

Here, she found a purpose.

Here she had a friend in need.

Friend…

_Whoa!_ Could she really call Klaus her friend?

She definitely cared about what happened to him, yes, and he definitely knew how to push her buttons like all friends do, but at the same time make her laugh…

Oh, Lord, help her…

"Well," Caroline said, unsure what was suddenly driving her words, touching the door apprehensively as she took in a deep breath to steady herself, " I'll stay with you…until Elijah comes, I mean. But...only if you want me to."

There was a silence as Caroline waited for a response.

But there was no sketchpad under the door this time.

She let out a breath and a pained look crossed her face.

Why did it hurt her that he didn't respond?

She wasn't sure, but it did.

Then, suddenly an Ipad slid quickly under the door and landed near Caroline's feet and startled her, the screen paused on a level of Angry Birds.

Caroline picked up the Ipad in her hands and bit her lip in a small smile, then looked over to the titanium door, imagining him on the other side, smiling his smile behind Tyler's face.

Strangely, it made her heart flutter.

Caroline turned her eyes to the screen and hit the play button.

On the other side of the door, Klaus leaned back against the titanium and smiled, balancing the sketchpad on his lap and placing the pencil behind his ear as he listened to Caroline play with the Ipad on the opposite side.

He was extremely touched that she would want to stay with him.

In fact, it filled him with such indescribable feelings, that he couldn't respond to her, even on paper, he could only slide his IPad out to her.

He closed his eyes and tried to relax as he continued to listen to the sound of the Angry Birds and Caroline…

_This could be heaven_… he thought to himself

Suddenly, he sensed a presence nearby and jerked awake, his eyes quickly scanning the room until they fell upon her, now walking out of Tyler's holding cage toward him.

"I almost didn't recognize you," she smiled

It was a familiar smile—one Klaus had known his whole life.

It was one that still lit fires in his soul and warmed his heart.

"Liliya," he whispered, swallowing hard as his face fell in a mixture of fear and misery at seeing the woman he killed over a thousand years ago.

Liliya walked forward and took a seat on the floor in front of him, flipping her long dark, curly hair over her shoulder and smoothing out her dress.

"Hello, Nik," she said, her voice kind as she cocked her head to study him

"What—what—_how_ are you here?" Klaus said with a trembled voice, looking around, then focused his eyes back on the original doppelganger

"I'm here for you," she whispered, leaning forward and placing a gentle hand on the side of his face

Klaus closed his eyes involuntarily at the familiar warmth of her skin and the scent her closeness gave off.

They released hundreds of memories all at once.

"You're real…" he said finally, opening his eyes and studying her with adoration…"How?"

"Something like that," Liliya replied, "It's a long story. But, right now, I'm here because Elijah sent me."

"Elijah?" Klaus perked up, "Is he alright? Where is he?"

"He's fine," Liliya said, pulling her hand from his face, "Misha was able to restore his memories. He's figured out what you need him to do and he's preparing things as fast as he can so that he can get you out of here. But he's worried he's going to run out of time—"

"I think we're _all _worried about that at the moment…" Klaus sighed, looking over his shoulder at the door and thinking of Caroline playing Angry Birds on the other side.

"He wanted me to give you this," Liliya continued, reaching down into the pocket of her dress, pulling out a folded piece of paper and holding it out to him

"What is it?" Klaus asked, taking the paper apprehensively

"I don't know." Liliya shrugged, "I'm just the messenger."

"Thanks…" Klaus mused, still looking at the square of paper

"He also wanted me to tell you something," Liliya said softly, placing her hand on Klaus' knee as his eyes moved to meet hers again.

There was a silence as Liliya stared at him for a few moments taking in his face as it curiously searched hers, trying to determine what she was about to say next.

Finally she said it, with the kind smile he knew all too well.

"In case something happens, he wants you to know that he loves you, Nik."

# # # # # #

"Thanks, Korby, I appreciate you helping me out. _Yes…Yes_…I haven't forgotten about the urn of Osiris. I'll UPS it out tomorrow. Oh, I don't know… Well, how often do you get mail out in the desert? _Really_? That's terrible. You need to bribe somebody, man, seriously… Alright, say hey to the gang for me and we'll pick up our bet from '36 the next time I get out there. I've been working on my croquet game. Twenty quid? Make it fifty. Yeah, you too. I'll give Elijah your best."

Misha let out an exasperated sigh as he pulled the cell phone from his ear and hit the end button.

_Mission accomplished_… he thought, _Well, about forty percent accomplished._ _He still needed to actually find his brother and drag him back here._

He turned out of the hallway and made his way back to the kitchen where Kol and Rebekah were still sitting at the kitchen table, tumblers of untouched blood in front of them as they stared blank faced at each other, still processing the lost memories Misha had given them back thirty minutes before.

"How are we doing in here?" Misha asked as he entered the room through the swinging door

"_Peachy_…" Rebekah mused in an automatic voice, the shock still written on her face as she turned absentmindedly to Misha, "You? Your phone call yield anything on Kaspar?"

"Actually, yes," Misha smirked waving the phone triumphantly, "Old acquaintance of mine, a desert gnome in Cairo, gave me some info on where he mind be flying under the radar and a phone number...said he did a spell for a friend of his in Kabul two days ago."

Rebekah nodded automatically as Misha curled his lip, looking down at his phone.

"Shifty little buggers, gnomes," he scoffed, "Obsessed with shiny objects and the business of trade. I had to promise to trade him my prized urn of Osiris in return for the intel. Damn! Thing is rare…and worth a bloody fortune, too."

"I'm sure, Elijah will find you _another one_. He's finding Nik another body, isn't he? An urn should be no problem," Kol said in a disillusioned trance

"I don't know why," Rebekah squinted at her brother, "But, I find that comment _very_ amusing."

This elicited a small chuckle from Kol

Misha smirked with a raised eyebrow, looking from Kol to Rebekah.

"Are you two _sure _your okay?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, "There are always side effects with memory transfers but—"

"Us?" Rebekah said, turning lazy eyes toward him again, "_Fine_. We're just…"

"In shock?" Misha offered

"There you go!" Rebekah smiled cheekily, pointing a triumphant finger at him, causing him to smirk nervously

"I don't know about you, Bekah," Kol said, pushing his chair away from the table, "but after having my brain violated with memories I'm not quite sure I _want_ to remember, I need a drink _a lot_ stronger than blood."

"If I didn't know any better," Misha smiled, "I would think you were both _already _drunk."

"_Hush!_ Big, dark man," Kol said bringing a finger to his lips in a quieting gesture as he stood, then turned to leave the room without another word.

"I'm right behind you," Rebekah said to Kol, ignoring Misha's comment.

Misha watched them leave the room for the liquor cart in the next room then turned on his cell phone again, silently wondering what Elijah would have thought of all of this if he were here.

"Siblings…" he whispered as he sucked in a deep breath and when the screen lit up, dialed the number that Korby had given him.

# # # # #

In a dark room lit by a single bare light bulb over a long metal table that looked more like a mortician's slab than a work space, a pair of chocolate colored hands levitated above the chest of a pale teenage boy with dark blonde hair, wearing a Metallic t-shirt and blue jeans.

When he felt the young man's essence finally leave his deceased body to venture to the great beyond, he opened his eyes, which normally where a soft brown that matched the color of his skin, but now where the hue of flaming amber.

He suddenly re-focused his enchanted eyes, this time on the middle aged man in a blue and charcoal suit, standing across the table from him and reached out with lightning speed, bringing his right hand to connect with the man's chest as his left hand connected with the chest of the boy on the slab below him.

He closed his eyes again as he murmured the last part of the incantation in his native tongue.

"Blood villig gitt ..."

The middle aged man cried in pain as his knees buckled and he faltered, wide eyed in fear, the dark man's hand still anchored to his chest like it was being held there with concrete.

"Flesh villig tatt ... Live nå"

After a few moments of writhing in pain, the man's mouth automatically opened and a golden aura began to pour out, snaking its way through the air and down into the boy's own mouth and nostrils.

Just then, a cell phone on the counter behind him started buzzing, immediately followed by a Bon Jovi ring tone.

The dark man's sighed, his dreadlocks flipping as he looked over his shoulder at the phone, now practically ready to buzz itself over the edge.

He turned back to his client, watching as the last of the man's essence found its way into the boy and when it was finished, the man let out a long guttural groan and slumped to the floor as the dark man disconnected his hand.

Rolling his shoulders and rubbing his hands soothingly, Kaspar Devarau moved toward the now silent phone and picked it up, turning on the screen.

His eyes narrowed as he tried to discern who the caller was based on the number.

It wasn't familiar.

Just as he contemplated calling the number back, the phone rang again, startling him for a moment before he hit the answer button.

"Hello?"

There was a short silence on the other end before a familiar voice spoke.

"Kaspar. It's Misha."

Kaspar's face fell as he let the sound of his brother's voice wash over him.

No one in his family had tried to contact him in over five hundred years…

"Kaspar?"

Just then another voice sounded behind Kaspar.

"Whoa…" the teenager, who had once been dead on the slab, now sat up and mused, looking at his arms and hands, then down to his feet, "This is—_whoa_!"

Kaspar rolled his eyes as he covered the microphone on his Droid phone and looked back over his shoulder.

"Yeah…yeah…" he scoffed, "Just leave the money on the table on your way out."

The boy gave him a curious look, then nodded as he hopped off the table and Kaspar returned to the phone.

"And just what can I do for you after all this time, Misha?" Kaspar asked in a low voice, tinged with indifference

Misha took an audible breath on the other end.

"Well, as it turns out, I need a necromancer."


	14. Chapter 14

Kaspar collapsed in the beat up brown leather chair in the far corner of his office, rubbing his free hand over the two day stubble on his face in deep thought.

"Holy Crap…" he whispered, his mind still trying to wrap itself around everything Misha had told him about—well, _everything._

"Esther's still out there and we don't know when she's going to strike," Misha said through the receiver on the other end of the line, "I could really use your help on this one."

Kaspar closed his eyes for a moment

When Kasper didn't respond, Misha continued, "Money isn't an issue if that's what's holding you back—"

Kaspar's eyes immediately opened and he straightened.

"I'll do it," he said with conviction, "No money required,"

Misha bit his lip, suddenly angry at himself for being so crass to his younger brother.

"I'm sorry, Kaspar," he said softly, "Forgive me. I should never have insinuated that—"

"No. It's alright," Kaspar said in a voice of shame, "The life I've been living for the last eight hundred years has been _exactly_ what you insinuated. You have every right to say what you did because it's true. I do what I do for money, that ain't no secret, but if you're gonna call me out of the blue and remind me I got a brother and a friend that need my help, I'm gonna do it for no charge."

"Thanks," Misha said with a sad smile, "And I'm sorry this out of the blue…I _really am_…"

"What happened to me were both fate and my own foolish fault. I don't blame anyone for not keeping in touch."

"Mama made us promise never to go looking for you…" Misha said sadly, "But that doesn't mean I should have listened. You are my brother—the emphasis being 'you are'—and I'm sorry."

"Thanks," Kaspar replied

Then a silence fell between them for a few moments before Kaspar chuckled.

"Alright, enough with the melodrama. It doesn't sound like Niklaus has a lot of time. If there is one thing I know, it's bodies and the magic Bonnie cast won't be strong enough _or_ dark enough to keep his vessel from deteriorating soon."

"So what exactly happens to Nik when Tyler's body deteriorates?" Misha asked tentatively

He didn't really want to know—somehow, deep down, he already guessed at the answer, but he needed something definitive to tell Elijah.

There was another long pause and Misha heard Kaspar take a deep breath, seeming to consider whether he should tell his brother the grim news or not.

"_That bad_?" Misha interjected

"Yep," Kaspar said finally, "Basically, his essence will be lost in the ether forever…and we will _never_ be able to find it."

Misha narrowed his eyes, "Then why doesn't Esther just let him deteriorate in Tyler's body instead of bringing him back to kill him? It sounds like a long, drawn out death…isn't that what she wants?"

"No. Based on the story you just told me, I don't think it's Niklaus she wants to kill so badly anymore…it's Elijah."

"What? Why?" Misha asked in surprise

"Because he's strong enough and clever enough to protect the others—look at all he's done to save Rebekah and Kol and bring back Niklaus. He's a freaking superhero, Man."

Misha smiled, "I guess so…or I guess, he's just a good big brother."

Kaspar nodded silently, then switched the phone from his left hand to his right so he could bring his watch within view.

"You said Elijah could lead you to where Ioan is buried?" Kaspar asked, noting the time

"Yes."

"Good," Kaspar said, lowering his watch and standing from his chair, "I can catch a plane out of Kabul tonight and be there in thirteen hours, but since we're approaching a time crunch on your end, I'll need you to do something for me that will help speed up the process so that everything is ready when I arrive."

"What do you need?" Misha asked

"A clean slate," Kaspar replied

# # # # # # # #

Elijah lay on his back watching the leaves rustle in the trees above him, bringing back happy memories of his childhood.

If he closed his eyes, he could easily imagine himself in Stephens Woods, not in gated backyard of the Salvatore Estate.

He had done just that when he felt his pocket buzz.

He immediately opened his eyes and pulled the cell from his pocket, checking the caller ID quickly before bringing it to his ear.

"Misha?" he answered in nervous anticipation

"Yeah, it's me." Misha said on the other end, "I've got good news. With the help of an old friend of ours, Korby—"

"The desert knome?!" Elijah chuckled, "God, it's been forever since we've seen him. How is he?"

"Oh, just fine and dandy," Misha continued impatiently, "and a few thousand bucks richer since I traded him my urn of Osiris for information on where I could find Kaspar."

Elijah immediately stopped laughing and stat straight up, "You found him?"

"Yes, I found him. I explained the whole situation and he's flying out of Kabul tonight, but he won't be here for another twelve hours or so."

"Do you think we have that long?" Elijah asked, worried

"He doesn't sound optimistic, but he doesn't sound too pessimistic either," Misha replied, "But he does need us to have everything ready for him when he gets here so he can go right into performing the rituals on Nik."

"What do you need me to do?" Elijah offered

"First of all, I need you to tell me where Ioan is buried. We need to funnel his essence out of his body and into a vessel to contain it until Kaspar can perform the proper rituals later to free it into the afterlife."

"A clean slate…" Elijah whispered, "So that Niklaus' essence can live in his body."

"Exactly. Can you tell me where he is?"

Elijah took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to pull forth the memory of the day he and his father buried Ioan.

After a moment, he had it.

"Yes." Elijah breathed out and opened his eyes again, the location clear in his mind, then looked back toward the Salvatore mansion, "But, I'm afraid I can't go with you…I should really stay with Elena for now."

"I understand," Misha smiled, "I'll call you again when Kaspar arrives and we are ready for Niklaus.

"Sounds good," Elijah replied, "Do you have a pen?"

Elijah heard a rustling on the other end of the line.

"Got one." Misha said finally, then quipped "Lead me to my buried treasure."

# # # # # # #

Klaus swallowed back the nervousness he felt as he looked down to the folded piece of paper in his hand, then around the now empty cellar.

Liliya had gone and all that was left to do was to open what she had given him from his brother.

He closed his eyes for a moment, steadying himself, as he began to unfold the paper in his hands.

When he felt it completely unfolded, he opened his eyes and focused them on his brother's handwriting.

**Niklaus, **

**First of all, I want you to know that I'm happy you are alive and safe. Secondly, I want you to know that I'm working on a plan with Misha to transfer your essence into Ioan's body as you planned, though it seems fate has other ideas. **

**Mother knows that Alaric didn't succeed in killing you. We believe that she is working through Bonnie Bennett and was behind Bonnie bringing you back. We also believe that she was counting on us going to Bonnie to complete the transfer rituals, at which time she would be able to channel herself through Bonnie and once you became corporeal again, use our connection to kill us both.**

**Because of this, we have decided to take a different route. Misha is helping me track down someone who is powerful enough to complete the rituals and my hope is that I will be able to come for you soon. However, I also know that Tyler's vessel is only temporary and I have to be honest in saying that I don't know how long all of this is going to take. **

**That is the reason for this letter.**

**We've been through a lot together in the last thousand years and through it seems there have been more bad memories than good ones, I want you to know that I wouldn't change a single thing in our lives—except one. And it's probably not what you would think. **

**After Liliya died, I admit that I came back to you and Rebekah for the wrong reasons. I shouldn't have returned because Father asked me to keep our siblings safe from you or because I wanted to prevent you from breaking the curse, as I did. I should have stood by you because it was the right thing to do in spite of everything that happened—I should have taken your hand over Mother's grave because I wanted to and not for any other reason, but I didn't. And, sadly, that moment was a gross metaphor for the hundreds of years that followed, decades and years spent never truly being there for you in all the ways I should have been and therefore, essentially, failing you both as a friend and as a brother. **

**I've always known who you are, probably better than anyone, and I still do. You are quick-witted, strong-willed, brave, loyal, passionate to the breaking point of rage, and incredibly self-destructive. You also possess the endlessly soulful eyes of an artist and the shy smile, that every once in awhile, brings down that tough façade you do your best to keep up so people won't come in too close.**

**If any of this sounds remarkably familiar, it's because it's the boy you always were, Niklaus, and it's the man you'll always be. Most importantly, it makes you who you are—it makes you my brother, and I am grateful for that. **

**If we don't succeed in our endeavor, I want you to know that I'm truly sorry and that I forgive you for all you have done, and I hope that someday, you can forgive me also. **

**And if we do succeed—whatever you do with this new life you are given, I pray that you find happiness and that you always remember that boy I once knew and the man I never really got to. **

**Most importantly, I hope you remember that you still have a family. We can't make up for the past, but you see, that's the best thing about living forever—that you have forever to make things right. And the best thing about having a family that lives forever is that they love you in a way no one else can and will always be with you.**

**Just as I love you, and will always be with you.**

**Elijah**

Klaus watched as a teardrop fell from his cheek, leaving a tear stained signature next to his older brother's name, then crumpled the letter in his hand and wept.

# # # # # # #

"From what Elijah told me on the phone, it should be just past this clearing," Misha called over his shoulder, but his eyes were still fixed on the piece of paper in his hands on which he had drawn a map based on Elijah's memories, as he cocked his head, "At least, I _think_ it is…"

"Never were much of a woodsman, where you, Misha?" Kol quipped with a smile, pulling tree branches out of his way as he made his way up the trail through Stephens Woods behind the warlock.

"No…not really," Misha frowned, handing the map over his shoulder to Kol, "See if you can figure out where we are."

Kol chuckled as he brought the piece of paper close to his face, then stepped back, turning the 'map' at different angles, then looked around, trying to compare it to their forest surroundings

"What _is_ this?" he finally mused, "Did a child draw it?"

"If you can't be civil," Misha huffed, plucking the map out Kol's grasp with one hand and reaching for his water bottle with the other, "You can just go home."

Kol smiled as he brought his hands to his hips, staring the warlock down.

"Oh, _really_?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow, " Let's see…Nik is locked in a magical prison in someone else's body, your brother is at an airport in _Afghanistan,_ Rebekah is sleeping off a nervous breakdown from the memories you recently gave back to us, and Elijah is in Mystic Falls tending to his little girlfriend. So tell me _this_," Kol straightened, pulling a shovel from the pack strapped to his back and twirling it in his hand, "If I go home…who's going to help you dig?"

# # # # # # # # #

"I'm sorry," Bonnie sighed closing her eyes, "Gloria and Misha—they came to me in one of the dreams I fixed for Klaus. They made me answer all kinds of questions about our plans—"

"And what did you tell them?" Esther asked, concerned

Bonnie opened her eyes and frowned, looking away, ashamed.

"Everything."

Esther took a deep breath and pursed her lips, trying not to let her anger show.

"Well, this complicates things…" she said as her spirit form walked over to the fireplace of the Bennett home, then turned back to face Bonnie, "Luckily, I have a back-up plan."

"What kind of plan?" Bonnie asked, narrowing her eyes as she followed Esther to the hearth

Esther stepped forward

"One that will bring me the end of my children… _by the hand_ of one of my children…"

"I don't understand," Bonnie replied

"When I turned Alaric Saltzman into a vampire hunter," Esther continued, "My main goal wasn't to kill Niklaus, it was to kill my eldest son."

"Elijah…" Bonnie whispered, her eyes widening, "Then, you knew all along, didn't you? You knew that I would never let Klaus die—that I would spare him to save my friends—"

"Yes. In fact, I counted on it as the safety in my plan," Esther whispered with a smile, "And when Alaric failed to track down Elijah and killed Niklaus instead-_but_ only destroying his body, thanks to your spell- I knew that I would have a second chance. And, now, that day has come."

"What are you going to do?" Bonnie asked nervously

"As I said before, I am going to kill my children and I've sobered to the fact that it's going to take one of my own children to do it."

"Oh, my god…" Bonnie whispered, "Who? How?"

"It will take magic," Esther smirked, stepping closer to Bonnie, "And as always... _your assistance._"

"But—" Bonnie suddenly protested, backing away

"No 'buts'," Esther smiled, grabbing the young witch and placing one strong hand over Bonnie's mouth to silence her, before bringing her other hand to rest square on Bonnie's chest, creating a connection between them as Bonnie struggled.

"Komme frem, en som gikk tapt ..." Esther chanted in her native tongue, closing her eyes and tilting her head back, calling to the spirits beyond, "Fra jorden kaller jeg deg ... gå bort fra Valhallah ...Kom til meg ..."

# # # # # #

"Alright,_ fine_." Misha sighed, giving Kol and his shovel a stern eye as he turned to continue down the trail, looking to his map again, "Just keep your little quips to yourself the rest of the way."

"Yes, Captain," Kol replied, giving Misha a mock salute with his shovel, then started after him.

Suddenly, a large tremor resonated through the ground beneath their feet, causing tree branches to break and rocks to roll past them along the trail. Kol moved forward quickly and placed a hand on Misha's shoulder, using his vampire strength to hold the warlock steady until it ended.

When it finally did, Misha turned to Kol with a worried look.

"This is _not_ good."

# # # # # # #

Bonnie struggled for a few more moments before finally falling limp in Esther's arms as the elder witch continued to channel her magic through the younger.

"Blodet av dine søsken sette deg ned i jorden ...Og bare blodet av dine søsken vil sette deg fri ...Kom ut, en som gikk tapt ...Ta meg min hevn."

Esther took a deep breath as she finally opened her eyes and smiled.

Then looked down to Bonnie's unconscious body and leaned forward, whispering into her ear, "It is done."

# # # # # #

"Dr. Fell wants an update when you're finished here," an intern called from the doorway of room 213 at Mystic Falls General Hospital.

"Alright, I'll be there in a moment, Thanks," another nurse smiled over her shoulder as she pulled the first and middle fingers of her right hand from Matt Donovan's wrist and lowered her watch, then wrote his vitals on the chart in her other hand, before moving her eyes to his monitor.

After another quick scribble and an adjustment to his IV, she closed the chart, cast a kind smile toward his sleeping form, then turned and walked through the open door, shutting it behind her.

Almost like a ripple effect, the sound of the door closing caused Matt Donovan's body to jerk involuntarily and his vital monitor to send his brain and heart waves sky high.

The activity alerted the nurse's station and within moments, the nurse returned, flinging the door open and rushing inside to Matt's bedside just as he stopped convulsing and started to go into cardiac arrest.

"Oh, God..." she whispered as she looked to the beeping monitor, then hoisted herself onto the bed and leaned over the top, pushing the intercom button on the wall that called back to the nurses station.

"Code Blue! We have a code blue in room 213!" she cried, then pulled back and jumped down, releasing the button on the side of Matt's bed, lowering it's angle so that it was flat.

She then climbed back on and straddled his body, bringing her hands folded over his chest to start CPR as another nurse hurried into the room with an air mask and bag.

"What happened?" she asked, fixing the mask and bag to his face and starting to squeeze the bag in time with the nurse's CPR movements on Matt's chest.

"I just took his vitals a few minutes ago," the nurse on his chest said between breaths and hits on his chest, "they were steady. Then I left the room and he just_ crashed._"

Both nurses looked at the monitor as their ministrations continued.

"Where the hell is the crash team?!" the nurse holding the air bag cried, looking over her shoulder toward the door

Suddenly, Matt Donovan convulsed violently again, sending the nurse on his chest over the side of the bed and onto the floor with a short cry of surprise.

The vital monitor immediately sprang to life, sending out normal waves, again.

The other nurse could only back away from the bed and stand in awe as Matt's hand came up and gently pulled the mask and bag from his face.

And just as the crash team arrived through the door seconds later, Matt Donovan opened his new eyes...


	15. Chapter 15

"Stefan," Damon said, suddenly appearing on the stairway, peeking over the rail into the front parlor where Stefan had just poured himself a drink.

"What is it?" Stefan asked, taking a sip

Damon didn't answer, he just jerked his head toward the upstairs, signaling for his brother to come up.

Stefan sighed as he replaced the tumbler on the liquor cart and made his way, with vampire speed, up the main staircase.

When he reached the upstairs hallway, he moved to his open bedroom door, his face mirroring curiosity more than fear as he crossed the threshold and surveyed the room.

Damon was now sitting in the leather chair next to Stefan's bed, where Elena sat Indian style with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

They both calmly stared at him as he entered, then looked at each other.

Damon nodded at Elena, encouraging her to speak first before they turned back to Stefan.

"Sit down, Stefan," Elena said in a soft voice, shifting her position as she wrapped the blanket tighter around herself.

Stefan shot a look at Damon, then moved his eyes back to Elena as he took a seat at the end of the bed.

"Are you okay?" he asked, an inflection of worry in his voice as he searched Elena's face

"I'm fine," she replied, shifting her tired eyes down, "I'm just ready for this to be over."

"Elena, we don't want to you to—" Stefan started, but Damon interrupted

"Stefan, just listen to her. Elena and I have been talking—"

"_Talking_?" Stefan suddenly sat back and scoffed, looking from Damon to Elena, "You two? And it didn't end in physical violence or passionate kissing?"

Damon gave his brother a harsh look, as Elena averted her eyes, unsure what to say to his comment.

"Well, that's new." Stefan smirked

"_Stefan_," Elena chided, suddenly finding her voice again, "Now is _not_ the time."

"No," Damon said, holding up a hand to stop her, "His comment is completely justified. I'd be thinking the same thing if it had been the two of you in here."

"So tell me," Stefan continued, crossing his arms over his chest, "What have you two been talking about without me?"

"Actually," Damon replied, "_Elena_ has been doing most of the talking. I've just been listening."

"That's _also _new," Stefan scoffed again

"Well," Damon said, his anger bringing him to sit forward in the chair, "I took the advice of a friend and it worked. Look, Elena has something she wants to say to the both of us—do you want to hear it or not?"

Stefan shrugged his shoulders relenting and Damon nodded to Elena, encouraging her to speak, but she only flared her nostrils and stared down to her hands folded in her lap.

"Elena," Stefan encouraged in a soft voice, "_I'm sorry_. What do you want to tell me?"

After a moment, Elena finally took a deep breath and lifted her head.

"I'm going to turn," she said in a weak, but resolute voice

Stefan's eyes immediately shifted to Damon, but Elena moved forward quickly across the bed, taking Stefan's arm to steady him.

"Hey," she said in an urgent voice, "Don't look at him. This is _my choice_, Stefan. Damon has nothing to do with this—this doesn't mean what you think it does…" Her eyes suddenly shifted between the two Salvatore Brothers, before she lowered her voice, "I haven't chosen _anyone,_ yet, just _this_."

Stefan relaxed and Elena let go of his arm, taking her seat back on the bed.

"Stefan," she said, causing Stefan's eyes to move back to hers, "This is _my decision_. It's what I want. And I think I've known since the day I died…I just couldn't admit it to myself. I was just so angry—I—I couldn't sort my thoughts."

"What changed your mind?" Stefan asked softly, shaking his head in disbelief, "Months ago, you told me that you _never _wanted to be a vampire and now, given the choice whether to turn or die, you're so sure you want to turn?"

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, "Now that the moment is _actually here_, I don't know…I _just know_."

A moment of silence passed between the three of them before Stefan spoke again.

"Alright," he whispered, "If you're sure."

"I'm sure," Elena nodded

"And as always, with our lovely Elena, there are _conditions_," Damon interjected with a sad smirk

"What do you mean? _What_ conditions?" Stefan asked, looking toward Damon again, then back to Elena

Elena straightened, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"First," she said, "I want to see Matt and Jeremy and Bonnie. I want to tell them myself, what is happening…and I want to visit my parents' grave."

She looked to Stefan and he nodded, then to Damon and he nodded, too.

"Second," she continued, "I don't want to turn until right before sunset tomorrow…and…" she paused, taking another deep breath, "And I refuse to drink from a human to turn."

Damon raised a curious eyebrow at Stefan, but Stefan took a deep breath of his own and looked to Elena.

"I suppose we can think of some way to work around that," Stefan nodded

Elena looked to Damon and Damon nodded as well.

"We'll figure it out." he concurred

Another long silence fell between them before Stefan interjected.

"Is that all?" he asked

"There is one last condition." Elena said softly

"What is it?" Stefan asked

"_That_," she said, looking back and forth between the Salvatore Brothers, "I won't reveal until _after_ I turn."

Damon furrowed his eyebrows, "Then how is that a condition if you're already turned?"

Elena closed her eyes and gave a small, relenting smile, "_Alright_, it's more of a special request, really."

"And why won't you tell us what it is?" Stefan countered with a raised eyebrow

"Because you'll over-react like you always do and will try to stop me." Elena said flatly

Damon rolled his eyes as he stood from the chair, "Well, that puts our mind at ease…"

Stefan smirked as he, too stood from the end of the bed.

"Well," Damon said, looking under the bed and retrieving Elena's sneakers, "Let's go then vampire princess. We've only got another twenty four hours to do all the stuff on your list before you turn into a pumpkin."

"I'll get the keys," Stefan called as he left the room

# # # # # # #

"_Not_ _good_…" Misha mumbled to himself as he and Kol walked up the north ridge of Stephens Woods, "_So_..._not...good_…"

"What's 'not good'?" Kol asked, "You've been saying that since our little earthquake back there. What's going on?"

Misha looked quickly at the scrap paper map in his hand, then to the large ancient tree rising before him at the far end of the clearing.

"We're here," he said confidently, as Kol came to his side and he showed him the map, pointing to their location, "X marks the spot."

He then quickly shoved the map into his jacket pocket and dropped his pack on the ground as Kol followed suit, throwing his own pack off of his shoulders.

"Start digging at the base of the tree," Misha urged, pulling some things from his pack.

Kol wielded the shovel in his hands and did as Misha commanded, stealthily moving toward the tree, shoving the blade end of the shovel into the ground with his foot.

"Please, God, let it still be here…" Misha whispered as he came to Kol side with his own shovel and started digging.

# # # # # # #

"Come on," Damon said softly, offering Elena his arm as she put the last shoe on her right foot.

She smiled weakly as she took hold of it and slowly stood from the bed, her body weight shifting onto him.

Stefan poked his head through the bedroom threshold having retrieved the car keys from his room.

"We ready?" he asked, twirling the key ring around his finger

Damon nodded, then eased Elena off her feet and up into his arms, just as Stefan's phone rang.

Stefan reached into his front jean pocket to retrieve it, his face falling slightly as he read the caller I.D.

"Stefan?" Elena asked in a worried tone as she wrapped an arm around Damon's shoulder

Stefan tried to keep his composure as he looked up, ignoring Elena's comment as he spoke to his brother.

"Damon, get her to the car. I'll be there in a minute."

"Sure," Damon replied, furrowing his eyebrows slightly, sensing something was up, but tightening his arms around Elena as he walked through the threshold past Stefan and down the hallway toward the staircase.

When they had disappeared out of sight, Stefan answered the phone, closing his eyes to prepare himself for what was to come.

"Meredith?" he answered softly

"Stefan!" Meredith Fell replied on the other end of the line, her voice practically in hysterics as she walked quickly down the hall of Mystic Falls General, her IPhone pressed to her ear, "We have a _serious _problem!"

Stefan opened his eyes, "What? Is it Matt?"

"Yeah…you could say that," Meredith nodded as she turned the bend in the hallway, coming up on the commotion of orderlies, nurses and hospital security as she approached room 213.

"What happened? Did something happen?" Stefan encouraged

But, Meredith remained silent on the other end of the line for a few moments as she showed her identification to hospital security and passed through the threshold of the room, surveying the scene she had only heard about second hand from one of her interns.

"Meredith, is Matt dead?" Stefan finally asked, his heart dropping at the thought of having to tell Elena

He heard Meredith take a deep breath, "Oh…_no_…quite the opposite it would seem."

"What do you mean?"

Meredith took in the room for a moment, looking around to one nurse sitting in a nearby chair answering Police questions and another on the floor being treated for injuries by a doctor and two nurses.

Then her eyes wandered to the empty hospital bed and abandoned hospital gown and IVs.

"Matt's _gone_." she said with a trembling voice

"_What_?" Stefan asked, pressing the phone tighter to his ear, "What do you mean he's _gone_? _How_? _When_?"

"Two_ excellent_ questions that were all answered by the nurses who said that my _severely injured, brain-damaged patient_ coded, then miraculously woke up, tossed them aside like rag dolls, pulled out his IVs and just _walked out,_" Meredith replied, still stunned

"Oh, my God…" Stefan whispered

"_So_, like I said, Stefan," Meredith repeated, "We have a _serious_ problem!"

# # # # # #

Rebekah awoke on Misha's bed to the sound of the door chime and groaned as she rolled over, then resigned to get up when she realized that it might be one of Misha's clients and that she should answer the door.

Wrapping the comforter from the bed lazily around herself, she sat up and got to her feet, stumbling through the doorway and down the hall as the door chime sounded again.

"I'm coming!" she called politely, as she took the stairs one by one, finally letting out a long sigh as she reached the landing and padded across to the front door.

She threw the lock and opened the door, her eyes immediately widening in stunned surprise when she saw the person standing on the other side of the threshold.

It wasn't exactly a _bad _surprise, just _unexpected._

Especially, after all that had happened…

"Matt," she said, giving a small, unsure smile

"Hello, Bekah," Matt Donovan smirked

Rebekah's face suddenly fell as she realized Matt Donovan had never called her by her nickname before. She made a quick study of his eyes and facial expression and realized that this was no mere quarterback.

"You're not Matt…" she whispered, swallowing back a sudden wave of fear as she stepped back and moved to close the door, but he quickly moved forward and grabbed her arm.

Rebekah's face paled as she struggled under Matt's incredibly strong grip.

It was impossible that he could be stronger than her—she was a thousand year-old vampire and he was human.

Unless…

Rebekah flinched as Matt leaned in closer, tightening his grip, his piercing blue eyes studying her face.

"Why don't you invite me in…_sister_."


	16. Chapter 16

They were almost to their elbows into Ioan's grave, when Kol's shovel hit the top of something that sounded hallow. Misha and Kol exchanged a quick glance before Misha threw his shovel aside and fell to his knees, brushing the dirt away from the top of what suddenly appeared to be a long wooden coffin, with a large white oak tree flanked by several Nordic symbols engraved on the lid.

Misha closed his eyes and placed his hands at the top of the coffin, taking deep, steady breaths to open his senses.

After a few moments, his eyes flew open and looked over to Kol.

"Open it," he said as he quickly got to his feet and climbed out of the grave.

Kol nodded and when Misha was clear, wedged his shovel under one side of the coffin lid and lifted it slowly.

There was a short hiss of air as the lid flipped to the side, revealing its contents.

"Oh…Wow…" Kol breathed as he beheld the face of Niklaus Mikaleson's identical twin brother lying in the coffin below him, buried in a white tunic and leather pants with his hands folded over his chest, grasping the hilt of his sword.

He looked as if he could be sleeping, his body intact, showing no decay or signs of being in a coffin for a thousand years.

Misha climbed back into the grave at the bottom of the coffin and leaned forward over the exposed body as Kol just stared in awe at the deceased older brother he had no idea he had until a few hours ago.

"Amazing how well my Mother preserved his body isn't it?" Misha said as he gently opened one of Ioan's eyelids, revealing a dilated blue-green iris, "And trust me, from what I've seen of my new memories, he didn't look like this when he died—"

"It's alright," Kol said in a low voice, holding up his hand to silence Misha, "I remember _exactly _what happen to him, we don't have to re-hash it."

Misha nodded knowingly as he leaned closer, looking into Ioan's eye.

"I—I guess seeing him in the flesh, not just in my memories…it's just a bit overwhelming." Kol continued, his eyes scanning Ioan's body

"Learning that your diabolical older brother has a twin is always a tad bit of a shocker," Misha replied

Kol smirked, "Niklaus is not exactly diabolical, just _misunderstood…_"

"You're a good brother to say so," Misha answered back, then lowered Ioan's eyelid with a deep sigh and pulled back.

"What is it?" Kol asked, narrowing his eyes as he studied Misha

"I was worried when we encountered that little earthquake back there that maybe Esther was on to us, that perhaps she did a spell to pull Ioan's soul out of his body and destroy the flesh before we could bring Klaus back…but that doesn't appear to be the case. I looked into his eyes. His soul is still in his body, waiting for us to extract it."

"Wait," Kol countered, leaning forward and resting his chin on the handle of the shovel, "Mother wants to destroy us—_all_ of us, not just Nik. She wouldn't just destroy his new vessel, you said that she needs the corporeal connection it creates to kill Elijah. And more over, she's more likely to _create_ something, being a servant of nature and all, rather than _destroy_ it. My money says if she did cause that quake it's probably has to do with a weapon of some kind. You know mother...she always has a back up plan-"

Misha quickly turned back to Kol, his eyes suddenly widening in fear.

"Give me my phone, I'm calling the Park Service. _You_ need call Elijah _right now_," Misha said in an urgent tone and Kol quickly tossed his shovel over his shoulder and jumped out of the grave to retrieve their phones.

Misha turned back to look down into Ioan's blank face, "I think Esther's sent something rogue."

# # # # # #

Rebekah sat nervously on the couch in Misha's back parlor, wrapping the comforter tighter around her shoulders as Matt Donovan took a seat beside her, his eyes studying her silently.

"I don't understand…what happened to you, Matt?" she finally asked

Matt smirked, cocking an eyebrow, "Don't pretend to be stupid, Rebekah, it never suited you. You were beautiful _and_ smart and much stronger than anyone ever gave you credit for. I've always admired you for that."

"You called me 'sister'…" she whispered, narrowing her eyes, "_who_ are you?"

"Look into my eyes," Matt said, sitting forward stealthily, "Look _hard_. Who do you think I am?"

Rebekah swallowed back the lump in her throat then sat forward and focused her eyes on Matt Donovan's blue eyes…

Staring…

Falling…

Suddenly, she pulled back in shock as she watched them turned from a shade of light blue to a dark, chocolate brown.

Only two of her brothers had dark brown eyes like that.

She also knew one of them was Elijah and the other one was…

"Oh, my God…" Rebekah whispered as he face began to crumble, "But, I you're dead—I—I saw you die…_twice. _How is this possible? How are you here? Why?_"_

Matt smiled as he brought his hand to the side of her face, wiping one the tears that now appeared on her cheek away with his thumb.

"Retribution," he said, "And redemption."

# # # # # #

Elijah moved with vampire speed from the side yard toward the front drive when he saw the front door open and Damon appear with Elena in his arms.

"Elijah," Elena smiled when she saw him, her head resting on Damon's shoulder, "You're still here."

"Well, I promised didn't I?" Elijah smirked, then looked to Damon as he walked along side him toward the black SUV parked in the middle of the driveway, "Where are you taking her?"

"Little Elena here has a bucket list she wants to fulfill before…" Damon trailed off, suddenly looking to Elena as Elijah opened the back passenger side door for them.

When Elena was safely in the backseat, Damon stepped back and turned to the oldest original, "Well, I'll let Elena tell you that part."

"Damon!" Stefan called from the front doorway of the mansion, his face clearly distressed

"Excuse me," Damon said solemnly, looking from Elena back to Elijah, then turning and making his way back to the house to council with his brother.

Elena and Elijah watched after him for a moment before Elijah turned Elena, leaning on the open door.

"What did he mean, Elena?" he asked, his heart suddenly swelling in his chest with anticipation

_**Was this it?**_ He thought to himself, _**Has she made her decision?**_

"I—" Elena started, then took in a deep breath, "I've made the decision to turn."

Elijah let out an audible exhale, his face falling with a mixture of sadness, but somehow, also selfish relief that he wouldn't have to say goodbye to another Petrova doppelganger…not yet, anyway.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked, narrowing his eyes in concern as he leaned forward, studying her face.

Her eyes connected with his and suddenly, he felt a warm current flow through him as she whispered, "I'm sure."

He had just reached out and gently taken her face into his hands, when suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Elijah ignored it, his eyes still held with Elena's, staying like that for a few moments before Elena finally broke eye contact and inhaled sharply, looking down to his jean pocket.

"Are you going to get that?" she asked with a smile and Elijah pulled away, reaching on hand into his pocket to retrieve his phone.  
When he saw it was Misha on the caller ID, he slid the answer key and took a few paces away from the car.

"Misha?" he answered, "Is everything okay?"

"Would I be calling you twenty minutes after our previous call if everything was _okay_?" Misha retorted sharply

He sounded disconnected, far away and Elijah soon realized he was on speaker phone.

"Misha, where are you?" Elijah asked

"In your brother's grave, that's where." Misha replied haughtily

"I don't understand. Isn't that where you're supposed to be? What's the problem?"

"We had an a little isolated earthquake up here in the woods. It completely freaked Misha out—" Kol interjected

"_Kol_?" Elijah asked,

"Hi, Elijah," Kol replied good naturedly, "You getting that 'Welcome Home' confetti parade set up for me?"

Elijah scoffed with a smile, "Yeah, and seventy-six trombones."

"As much as I hate to interrupt the family bonding moment, this earthquake Kol mentioned is posing a serious problem to our plans."

"How's that?" Elijah replied

"Well, at first, I thought Esther had figured out what we were doing and was trying to stop us by releasing Ioan's soul and destroying his body, until Kol cleverly countered that the last thing your mother would want would be to destroy the only way to make Klaus corporeal again."

"That's logical." Elijah pointed out

"And we've dug up Ioan and I've done a reading. His body and his soul are both intact."

Elijah closed his eyes in relief, "Good."

"But…" Misha said, trailing off

"You don't think the crisis is averted?" Elijah prompted

"Something is not right, Elijah," Misha continued in a low voice, "I felt that ground shake beneath us…this was _powerful_ magic. Something rose. Something was called. Now, I phoned over to the National Park Service. They said they didn't feel the quake anywhere else in Stephens Woods or in Mystic Falls for that matter. It seems like it just happened on what used to be _your family's_ land. That's why I'm calling."

"Well, what do you want from me? How can I help?" Elijah replied

Misha fell silent on the other end and Kol chimed in.

"Elijah," he said in a low voice, "We need to know where you buried Henrik."


	17. Chapter 17

Bonnie awoke with a start, quickly focusing on the room around her.  
It was still late afternoon, probably now going into early evening judging by the light coming through the den windows, so it appeared that Esther's spell hadn't knocked her out for long.

She tentatively turned her head back to take in the rest of the room and as she scanned it, realized that there was no sign of Esther.

She had already gone.

Bonnie sighed heavily, then, fighting against the stiffness in her body she felt at being dropped so suddenly onto the hard wood floor, tried to get up.

After rolling to one side and bringing herself onto her hands and knees (she only had to steady herself once when the room spun), Bonnie started slowly moving on all fours toward the nearest recliner. When she finally reached the chair and pulled herself up into it, she closed her eyes in relief and immediately began to focus her energies.

She had to warn the others.

Quickly, she concentrated on summoning her cell phone.

It was in the front hall inside her purse.

After a few moments of channeling, Bonnie absentmindedly, stuck her arm out and caught her Android phone as it flew threw the open door into the room.

Immediately, she opened her eyes once more and brought the phone in toward her, lighting up the screen and searching the call history for the right number.

# # # # # # #

"Your turn." Caroline said sweetly from the other side of the titanium door and Klaus watched as his IPad slid underneath it and to his side for the fifth time in the last hour, the_** Angry Birds**_ game paused on the screen.

Klaus smirked, but before he could pick it up, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Curious, Klaus retrieved it and turned on the screen and did not see who he was expecting.

His eyes narrowed as he hit the answer button and brought the phone to his right ear.

"Bonnie?" he said in a low voice, moving away from the door so that Caroline wouldn't hear anything.

"Klaus, you're Mother was just here—"

"Ahh…so it's true. You _are _a pawn in her game."

There was a short silence on the other end of the line before Bonnie took in a deep breath.

"I meant what I said about saving you to save my friends and my Mother. Esther—well, Esther was just a _surprise_. She came to me after I revived you and told me her plans. When I wouldn't go along with them for fear that killing you—even your essence—would hurt my friends, she—well, she took my Mother in exchange for my 'assistance' as she calls it."

Klaus swallowed, "I—"

"It's alright, Klaus. She's safe. Esther won't hurt her—she's just holding her for leverage until she's done channeling her magic through me. Still, if I had known to what lengths she would go to in order to kill you and Elijah…"

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked, suddenly noticing the change in the witch's voice

"I met with her not long ago and when I fessed up to revealing her plans to Misha and by extension, Elijah, she said something about a 'back up plan' and then did a spell using my energies," Bonnie said in a low voice, "A very _powerfu_l spell. I couldn't understand the words, but I remember them, I have an eidetic memory. I also know that it felt _dark_—some kind of ritual for raising a spirit."

"Sounds like it's time to contact the cavalry." Klaus sighed

"You mean, Elijah?" Bonnie asked

"Yes," Klaus continued, "I'm not exactly in a position to do something about it at the moment, but Elijah will know what to do."

"Do you have his phone number?"

"No. He changed it when he left town a month ago so that I wouldn't be able to reach him."

"Well, at least we know whose side he won't leave," Bonnie smirked, "That's a start."

"Call me back as soon as you can," Klaus replied, then hung up

# # # # # #

Kol had been walking for nearly ten minutes before he saw it up ahead—the second marker Elijah had described.

He leaped effortlessly over a fallen tree on the trail that led east through Stephens Woods and continued on the path, coming up on an old tree stump with a Nordic cross burned onto the side.

He knelt down and touched the stump with reverence, then released the mute button on his speaker phone, re-opening the three way conversation he was having with Misha, who was still back at Ioan's grave, and Elijah.

"Alright, Elijah, I found the pass near Magnus' old mill."

Elijah leaned back on the side of the SUV, thinking

"Now, go about two hundred paces east through the clearing to the bank of the river…" he said, trying to envision the village where his family once lived in his mind.

Kol smirked as he stood and turned east, walking from the stump, taking measured, exaggerated steps.

"One…two…"

"Oh, _dear God_…" Misha whined on the line, "Is he serious?!"

"Kol!" Elijah laughed, "Don't play with Misha like that. Just walk normally or hoof it vampire speed, alright?"

"Fine. But, for the record, you are both just _no fun."_ Kol replied then sped off through the woods, arriving moments later at the bank of the rushing river.

"I'm here, Elijah. What now?" Kol said, taking in his surroundings

"You should see another marker not far from—"

"The river bend?" Kol said in a low, far away voice

"Yes…" Elijah replied, quickly realizing by Kol's tone that something was wrong, "Kol?"

"Elijah," Kol said, his voice dropping and a sick feeling rushing through his veins as he stepped closer to the massive dent in the earth that lay in front of him as if a meteor had just recently struck it, "Looks like Mother's been here."

Kol looked down over the edge as Misha's voice chimed in

"Kol, is the body still in the grave?"

Kol nodded to himself, then replied.

"Yes," he managed to get out as he noticed a wooden coffin, similar to the carved one Ioan had been buried in, lying turned over at the bottom of the hole, the hand of a young boy peering out from under the lid.

"Kol, I know this is a lot to ask right now, but I need you to go in there." Misha continued

"And do what, exactly?" Kol scoffed

"I need you to look into his eyes and tell me if his soul is intact—"

"_Hold on_!" Kol retorted, "I'm not a mystic Misha, I don't read people's minds and do hocus pocus stuff like that—that's _your _department. Besides, how will I even know what I'm looking for?"

"Trust me, _You'll know_." Misha said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, bullocks," Kol said in a low voice as he set the phone on the ground and carefully climbed down into the grave, trying hard not to land on top of the coffin.

As he tentatively walked toward the final resting place of his youngest brother, a thousand memories of Henrik Mikaelson rushed through Kol's mind—old and new.

After a moment's pause, he finally summoned the courage and with one heave, turned the coffin over into its proper position, then moved the lid aside to view the body of his fourteen year-old brother.

Like Ioan, he too was lying on his back, clutching the hilt of a sword that lay across his chest, dressed in a leather vest and pants and a white tunic.

"Hei, lillebror…" Kol smiled sadly as he brought his hand to stroke Henrik's pale cheek and dark brown hair.

"Kol?" Misha's voice sounded through the phone still resting on the grass at the top of the grave

"Hang on!" Kol called up, then straddled his legs across the coffin and leaned forward to look into Henrik's face.

He lifted Henrik's right eye lid and looked inside, concentrating on Henrik's piercing dark brown iris.

It didn't take long for Kol to see all that he needed to.

Misha was correct when he said that he would know right away if something was wrong.

Something _was wrong_.

Henrik's eyes were dead. There was nothing behind them.

"It's not here!" Kol cried loud enough to be picked up by cell phone's microphone as he pulled back, "His soul…it's _not here!"_

Elijah closed his eyes in pain at Kol's words, but before he could say anything Elena's phone rang inside the car and after a few seconds, Elena grabbed his arm.

"Elijah, it's for you. It's Bonnie." She said with curious eyes as she handed him her phone

Elijah spoke quickly into his phone, "Misha, I'm gonna have to call you and Kol back."

"Fine," Misha sighed reluctantly, "We ain't going nowhere,"

Elijah ended the call and traded phones with Elena, bringing her IPhone immediately to his ear.

"Bonnie, this is Elijah."

"Elijah, I know you know about what's been happening between me and Esther, no doubt Misha has told you."

"He has."

"I don't have time for explanations or platitudes right now, just know that I'm tired of being Esther's puppet and that I want to give you a heads up on something big that just went down."

"I'm listening." Elijah replied

"Esther just did a spell by channeling my essence. As I told Klaus, I couldn't understand what the words to the spell meant, but I have an eidetic memory, so I can remember exactly what I heard—"

"What were the words?" Elijah asked, reading his mind to translate

"Komme frem, en som gikk tapt ..." Bonnie relayed, closing her eyes in concentration as she brought the Nordic word forth from her memory, "Fra jorden kaller jeg deg ... gå bort fra Valhallah ...Kom til meg ...Blodet av dine søsken sette deg ned i jorden ...Og bare blodet av dine søsken vil sette deg fri ...Kom ut, en som gikk tapt ...Ta meg min hevn."

Elijah nearly dropped the phone when she stopped.

After a few moments, when Elijah didn't speak, Bonnie continued.

"Elijah, I'm telling you that this felt dark, like she was summoning something from beyond. When I told her that I had told Misha of her plans, I think she feared that you would know how to retaliate against her. She said that she had a 'back up plan' and I'm guessing that this was it. Do you know what the words mean?"

"Yes," Elijah said in a low voice, "It's part of a vengeance spell. I've only ever read about it, though. Misha—he would know more about it and how to possibly reverse it…if we _can_ reverse it."

"Well, a vengeance spell makes sense. Tell me, could she call on a spirit to do it?"

Elijah's heart dropped further as the pieces all started to click together in his mind.

"Yes," he replied, "She would have to."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I saw it, Elijah-before I fainted, I had a vision of him."

"_Him?_"

Suddenly, Elijah's worst fears were confirmed.

"The spirit. He was there…I—I saw him cross over clear as day—"

"Can you describe him?" Elijah encouraged

"Not really…just that he was young—maybe thirteen or fourteen years-old and he had shoulder length dark brown hair—"

"And brown eyes…" Elijah whispered

"How did you know that?" Bonnie asked surprised

"I already know who Esther's brought forth Bonnie—he's my younger brother, Henrik…" Elijah said taking a deep breath, "and I also know why he's here—"

Suddenly, a hand grasped the phone from Elijah's ear and the older original turned to see Damon Salvatore give a small smile as he brought it to his own.

"Bonnie, we've got a situation. Elijah's gonna have to call you back."

Elijah narrowed his eyes as Damon met his gaze, then pulled the phone from his ear and hit the end button on the phone, tossing it back to Elena.

"I hope you don't mind, but I eavesdropped on your phone conversations during my little council with Stefan—"

"Is that even possible?" Elena asked, confused

"Takes years of practice," Damon smirked at her, "But yes." He then turned to Elijah. "Meredith Fell just called. Matt's missing. So, now we know whose skin your little brother is taking out for a joy ride. "

"Well, that's not good," Elijah said, shaking his head

"No it's not," Damon responded

"Matt's seriously injured. We have to find him," Elijah replied

"We need to get over there," Damon nodded

"Hold on! What's_ not good_ is that I have _no idea_ what any of you are talking about!" Elena asked in a frustrated voice looking curiously from Elijah to Damon and then to Stefan, who now appeared at the front of the car and opened the driver's side door to get in, "And go where? Where are we going? What's happening to Matt?"

"_Relax._ Not to worry, Vampire Princess, we'll explain along the way," Damon winked, then looked to Elijah as he held the door open for the original then jerked his head for him get in beside Elena.

"Vampire Princess?" Elijah asked Elena with a raised eyebrow when Damon had shut the door behind him and moved with vampire speed to the front passenger side door.

"It's a term of endearment…" Elena sighed as she leaning toward him, folding her arms across her chest, "I hope."


	18. Chapter 18

_**((HOLY MOLEY! I just wrote 5,000 words for this chapter. I guess I just got carried away:) Enjoy! And as always, thanks for reading and leaving constructive reviews. I appreciate it.))**_

Matt eyed Rebekah from the table in the breakfast nook as she moved about the kitchen, removing the steaming kettle from the stove, then going to the pantry to retrieve some tea, setting it on the counter before she opened the refrigerator and pulled out the creamer in one hand.

"I'll have lemon in my tea—" Matt started to say, but Rebekah turned back to him with a sad smirk, bringing out the lemon she already had in her hand from behind the refrigerator door.

"I remember." She said softly

Matt cast his eyes down and waited as she prepared their cups and brought them over to the table.

But, just as she sat down, her phone rang in her pocket.

She shot a nervous look at Matt, who narrowed his eyes, then nodded for her to answer it as he took a sip of his tea.

"Showtime…" he murmured, "Nice and calm, just like we discussed."

Rebekah took a breath, bringing her hair over her right shoulder, trying to steady herself as she retrieved the phone and hit the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Bekah, it's me," Kol said on the other end

"Where are you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even

"I'm in the woods with Misha. Sorry we had to leave after you fell asleep, we sort of fell into a time-sensitive issue regarding Ioan's body."

"Is everything alright?" she asked

"Oh, fine and dandy..._Well_, as fine and dandy as it could be in our situation" Kol said, his voice sounding a little strained, "I'm getting a work-out, too."

"What?" Rebekah narrowed her eyes

"Nothing, don't worry about it. Look, we need to talk. Something's happened. Misha and I are on our way home now, so don't go anywhere...and lock the front door, alright?"

"Yes." Rebekah replied, casting another glance at Matt, "When do you think you will you be home?"

Matt smiled and nodded approvingly

"Probably about an hour," Kol replied

"I'll have dinner ready." Rebekah suddenly said in a soft voice, then hung up.

After a moment of silence, she spoke, setting her phone on the table.

"They are on their way home."

"I heard."

Rebekah's eyes narrowed, "You want them to see you? You want them here?"

"I'm counting on it. They have something in their possession that I want." Matt smirked as he took another sip of his tea.

# # # # # # # #

"Oh, my God!" Kol said with grunt of pain as he hung up the phone with one hand, while the other helped Misha heave Ioan's very heavy coffin into the back of his jeep next to Henrik's, "How could a fourteen year-old and a twenty five year-old weigh so much?"

Misha smiled as Kol patted the ends of the wooden coffins and said, "Been eating our Wheaties, boys?"

"So Rebekah's awake," Misha said as he closed the back of the Jeep and watched Kol slip his phone back into his jean pocket, then massage his sore hand, "I hope she's alright after the memory overload. She _sounded_ fine, at least."

"She's in trouble. We need to get home as soon as possible," Kol said matter-of-factly, keeping his eyes on his hand as he moved quickly to the passenger side door and Misha followed, climbing in the other side.

"Hold up," Misha replied, "She was just on speaker phone, Kol, I heard her. She didn't sound distressed—_"_

"I mean it, Misha. Like, we need to break every single traffic law possible on the way out of Mystic Falls—"

"I still don't understand..." Misha said, shaking his head, strapping on his seatbelt and putting the key into the ignition

"Rebekah gave me a code—'I'll have dinner ready'." Kol said, clicking his own seatbelt into place.

"How is _that _a code?" Misha retorted as he turned the key and the Jeep roared to life

"Have you ever _had _my sister's cooking?" Kol replied, sitting straight and glancing at the warlock out of the corner of his eye, "It's _awful_. Trust me, she's in trouble."

# # # # # # # #

**NEW WORLD, 1044 AD **

"**Henrik, stop dallying, we need to finish shucking this corn." Rebekah sighed as she reached over and pulled the blade that Henrik was using to carve little animal figures into the floor of the cave out of his grasp.**

"**Hey!" Henrik whined as he watched Rebekah place the knife on her other side, away from her younger brother, and hand him two more ears of corn**

"**You'll get it back after we're done. I burned the stew last week, so Mother will be even more discouraged if we don't do _this_ properly," Rebekah said, rolling her eyes and pulling at the shuck of an ear of corn on her lap.**

"**For the record, if you put a few berry leaves in it, it tasted fine," Henrik smirked, nudging his sister playfully.**

"**Thanks," she smiled kindly as she watched him start shucking his allotment of corn.**

**For the next few minutes, they shucked quietly, Henrik quickly finishing his quota and handing them in assembly line style over to Rebekah. **

**Suddenly, a breeze passed behind them and when Rebekah turned to place a few more shucked ears in the basket at her side, she shrieked when she saw Kol leaning over the basket, his face inches from hers with an ear of corn clasped between his teeth.  
**

**Henrik burst out laughing, but Rebekah didn't find her brother's prank the least bit amusing.**

**She wailed on him, hitting him and cursing at him in Nordic, causing both Kol and Henrik to laugh harder.**

**# # # # # #**

**Elijah came to Mikael's side at the mouth of the cave.**

"**Father?" he asked, looking over to his 51 year-old counterpart who was scanning the forest with his intense blue eyes, "What is wrong?" **

**Mikael shook himself from his trance and turned to his oldest son with a concerned glance.**

"**I—I just have a feeling that something is going to happen tonight. But, I suppose it's nothing—just an old man's feeling. Hopefully, it will pass."**

**Elijah put a reassuring hand on his father's shoulder. **

"**Any sign of the wolves?" he asked**

"**No," Mikael sighed, "Not yet. They must be hunting near the native villages tonight or along the river, but it's a long time until dawn breaks." **

"**Mother says the meal will be ready soon. Why don't you let me relieve you here?" Elijah urged**

**Mikael smiled, placing a hand over his son's on his shoulder.**

"**Alright," he consented and Elijah nodded as he passed him on his way toward the back end of the tunnel. **

**Elijah listened to his father's boot steps for a few more moments until they faded, then turned out toward the woods and up to the night sky. **

**If it wasn't so dangerous, he would bring Henrik out here to see the constellations.**

**It was their favorite game, trying to name them as well as coming up with shapes of their own.**

**Elijah was looking for constellations when suddenly there was a loud male scream from the cave tunnel behind him and seconds later, Elijah heard Mikael's voice calling for help. **

**Elijah immediately turned on his heel and sprinted with vampire speed toward the source of the commotion. **

**When he arrived, he saw Finn plastered against the rock face, the Mancala game he had been playing with Niklaus and Ioan, scattered on the floor beneath him.**

**A few feet away, his father was knelt down beside Niklaus with his arms around his son's torso, comforting him as Niklaus writhed in pain on all fours. **

"**Father? What's happening?" Elijah asked urgently, keeping his hand on his sword at the hilt at his side as he stepped forward cautiously. **

"**We were just playing another round before dinner and they both suddenly fell to the floor," Finn said from behind Elijah, causing the elder Mikaelson brother to look over his shoulder, "They started moaning and clutching their chests. At first I thought Klaus was having one of his episodes, but then I saw him…."  
**

**Elijah narrowed his eyes as Finn trailed off, lowering his own eyes, still stunned by his experience. **

"**Where is Ioan?" Elijah asked suddenly and Finn lifted his eyes and shrugged, "He just took off toward the other end of the cave."**

**Moments later, Klaus let out a blood curdling scream, continuing to try and pull away out Mikael's grasp, but his Father continued to hold him. **

"**Steady on, son. I'm here….I'm here Niklaus…You're alright," he soothed next to his sons ear**

**Suddenly, though, Niklaus turned his head toward Mikael and Elijah, rolling his shoulders like a wild animal as all the bones in his arms pulled free and began breaking.**

**His spine soon followed close behind. **

**It was then that Elijah saw it—his eyes—they were turning a dark golden color and dilating, his fangs elongating like a wolf. **

**But that was _impossible_….**

**Elijah was still in shock when he suddenly realized Mikael was calling his name and pulled himself back to reality. **

**His father must have realized what was happening to Niklaus, too. **

"**Elijah!" he cried, still struggling to hold Niklaus, "I need you to go to the other end of the cave and find your Mother and Ayanna and bring them here! They will know what to do!"  
**

**Klaus gave another menacing scream as his legs disjointed and he threw a hand out, clawing at the rock face of the cave wall.**

"**What about you?" Elijah asked, concerned**

"**Don't worry about me. Finn's here. I need you to find your Mother and Ayanna and then get Henrik, Rebekah and the other villagers out through the cliff face!"  
**

**Elijah gave a short nod as he unsheathed his sword and raced off through the tunnel.**

"**A little help here would be nice, Finn…" Mikael breathed, his face turning red with the effort of holding the still writhing Niklaus, "He getting too strong." **

**Finn swallowed back his fear and quickly came to his Father's aide. **

"**What about Ioan?" Finn suddenly asked, "Do you think the same thing is happening to him?" **

**Mikael's eyes moved quickly to Niklaus and widened as they moved back to Finn**

"**Shit." He murmured **

**# # # # # # **

"**Alright, you two," Rebekah said, tying her hair back from where it fell out of her braids as she eyed Kol and Henrik, "That's enough laughter at my expense."**

**She then stood and picked up one of the baskets of corn and hefted it into Kol's arms. **

"**Here, make yourself useful," she smiled as he grunted underneath the baskets weight. **

**It was then that they heard a shuffling noise approach them through the cave tunnel and m****oments later, Ioan stumbled around the corner, hugging the rock face tightly, then immediately falling to the ground and writhing in pain. **

"**Ioan!" Kol cried, throwing the basket of corn aside and moving forward quickly to his brother's side.**

"**What's wrong with him?" Henrik asked with concern, hurrying toward his older brothers, but Rebekah grabbed his shoulders to hold him back**

"**Ioan…" Kol said in soothing voice, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder as he doubled over in pain on all fours. **

**Then suddenly, he gave a loud shriek and thrust his head upward as his spine bent forward, revealing dilated golden eyes as big as saucers. **

**Kol flew back like shrapnel and Rebekah and Henrik gasped as they watched their brother bend back, then forward again, quickly sprouting fur and his body molding into something smaller and compacter than his six foot three inch frame. **

**By the time Kol returned to Rebekah and Henrik's side, all three of them were face to face with a werewolf—eyes gleaming yellow and fur black as night. **

**It growled angrily at them, then snapped it's jaws as it prepared to pounce. **

**But before it could, a figure somersaulted through the air over the top of the beast and landed in the space between his siblings and the wolf. **

**His sword was drawn and his vampire features prominent as he face off with the creature, letting lose a growl of his own. **

**The animal backed away for a instant, just long enough for Elijah to look over his shoulder. **

"**Kol, I need you and Rebkah to get Henrik out of here, then find Mother and Ayanna and tell them what's happened—" **

"**Is Nik?—" Kol asked, stepping forward in a worried tone, but Elijah cut him off**

"**Father's with him. Kol, I need you to focus now—bring Mother and Ayanna here, then lead the rest of the villagers to safety. Can you do that?" **

"**Yes." Kol nodded, "But what about you?" **

**Elijah turned back to face his brother, now it seems, who was a werewolf.**

"**I'll be fine," he said confidently, his eyes flashing as he started circling and the wolf followed his movements stealthily, "Just go!" **

**Kol grabbed Rebekah's shoulder and urged her to start moving toward the other end of the tunnel. She ****immediately obeyed, giving one last glance to Elijah over her shoulder as she went, guiding Henrik with her. **

**Meanwhile, Elijah continued to stare the wolf down. ****He didn't want to harm Ioan—that's the last thing he wanted—but he couldn't have been more grateful that his sword was made of pure silver than at he was at this very moment. **

**Ioan's jaws snapped again and he suddenly leaped toward Elijah, narrowly missing him as Elijah's sword grazed his muzzle. **

**The wolf landed hard on the other side of the tunnel, sliding toward the cave wall as Elijah turned back to face him, sword at the ready. **

**The wolf snarled and stealthily walked forward, eyeing Elijah as it prepared to pounce again.**

"**No! Don't hurt him!" a voice cried nearby **

"**Henrik! Wait!" Elijah heard Rebekah call from the far end of the tunnel **

**Suddenly, Elijah stilled his sword and the veins disappeared from under his eyes as Henrik appeared before him using vampire speed, closing the gap between Elijah and the wolf. **

"**Please, Elijah, don't hurt him! He's our brother!" Henrik pleaded, holding up his hands**

"**Henrik! _Henrik!"_ Elijah dropped his sword and moved raced forward just as he saw the wolf pounce.**

"**No!" Rebekah cried and Elijah could see her lurch forward out of the corner of his eye and Kol quickly appear at her side, holding her back. **

**Henrik turned to see what was coming, but was too late. **

**The wolf flew at the boy, clamping its jaws tightly onto Henrik's left shoulder from behind. **

**Henrik screamed as the wolf pulled him down toward the ground, then after a few moments released him as Elijah slid forward on his knees to catch his youngest brother before he hit the cave floor. **

**The wolf circled and growled, then immediately pounced again, but let out a fierce cry, when a figure suddenly appeared and stabbed the wolf in midair from behind with his sword, slicing down the side of the beast quickly, spilling its guts before it fell to floor lifeless. **

**Elijah looked up to see the blood spattered, breathless face of his Father standing over him, his sword lowering across his body as his eyes widened at the site of Henrik lifeless in Elijah's arms. **

**Soon Rebekah was at Elijah's side, trying to keep her emotions in check and placing a hand over the gushing wound on Henrik's shoulder as Kol, Elijah and Mikael looked over to the mutilated body of Ioan Mikaelson now lying on cave floor in his human form.**

# # # # # # # #

"Whoa, that's a lot of information to take in all at once. And I think my head hurts a little more than it did before," Elena winced bringing her hand to her forehead after Damon, Stefan and Elijah threw out all the information of what was happening on the table—Klaus, Henrik, Kaspar, Bonnie, Matt, Esther…the whole enchilada.

Damon smirked, but Stefan kept his eyes on the road.

They thought it was Elena being funny, only Elijah realized when she leaned forward and let out a short groan that she was really in pain.

"Here," Elijah said softly, unfastening his seatbelt and turning towards here, holding out his hands, "Allow me?"

Elena grimaced in pain again, but nodded, lowering her hand and watched as Elijah gently placed his palms on the sides of her face, then reached up with the index and middle fingers on both hands and began rubbing slowly into her temples as his thumbs began to massage her cheek bones.

Elena closed her eyes and breathed slowly, feeling his hands instantly calm her and cause her to relax, the pain slowly disappearing.

She wasn't exactly sure how he was doing it, but it was working.

"So, homeopathic man…" Damon interrupted sarcastically, looking over the back seat as he eyed Elijah's movements on Elena, "May I ask where you picked up _those _special skills?"

Elijah smirked, keeping his eyes focused on Elena as he kept one hand on the side of her face and moved the other down to massage the side of her neck, "My Mother taught me. She was not only a witch, but our village herbalist and healer. Niklaus used to suffer from terrible migraines when we were children—almost incapacitating. My Mother taught me how to help him when he had an episode."

"Headaches are pretty normal during transition," Stefan said, looking back into the rearview mirror

"Does that mean she has to suffer?" Elijah asked, glancing back at Stefan out of the corner of his eye and he saw Stefan move his eyes back toward the road.

"To pick up where we left off," Damon continued, "If all of this is true about Klaus still being alive and in Tyler's body, why should we help you bring him back in this—and man, this sounds scarier and scarier the more I say it—_twin brother's_ body?"

"Simply put," Elijah said, keeping his eyes on Elena as he answered Damon's question, "If Klaus is corporeal, he and I will have enough strength, along with Misha, Kaspar and Bonnie, to take down Esther and hopefully she will be gone for good. This, hopefully, will also end our little situation regarding my youngest brother walking around in the body of Elena's severely injured friend. The flip side—if you decided to kill Klaus—_even his essence_—you kill you, your brother, Caroline, Bonnie's mother, and…" he said pulling his hands away as Elena went slightly limp, "Elena."

She opened her eyes and looked at Elijah for a moment.

"Better?" he asked

"Yeah, Thanks," she whispered with a smile, rolling her shoulders, then turning toward Damon

"Elijah has already given us his word that if Klaus returns, he will keep him in check and that the originals will leave town. I believe him. Besides, soon I will be a vampire—Klaus will no longer need me."

She looked to Elijah and he nodded.

"And what if we just flat out hate Klaus because he's an evil son of a bitch and want to see him dead?" Stefan said haughtily, "No offense, Elijah."

"None taken." Elijah replied calmly

Damon sighed, ignoring Stefan's comment as his glance moved to Elijah again, "So have you thought about what the back-up plan will be if we _can't_ stop Esther? We'll still have your kid brother running around in Matt's body, what do you propose to do about _that?"_

"Well," Elijah said, tentatively looking toward Elena, then moving his eyes back to the older Salvatore, "If we can't make Klaus corporeal and destroy my Mother, thereby undoing the spell to free Matt from Henrik, then the vengeance spell she cast was _very specific_. From what Bonnie told me, one of the phrases translates to, 'Only the blood of the blood who put you in the earth, can send you back'. That's our loop hole."

"'The blood of the blood'," Elena said, leaning back against the seat, "What does that mean?"

Elijah opened his mouth to answer, but Stefan beat him to it

"It means that one of his siblings killed him." he said very matter-of-factly

"Wait," Elena said, shaking her head in disbelief, "That can't be right. Rebekah told me that Henrik died in a werewolf attack while you were all still human."

"He did," Elijah said, as he sat back and refastened his seatbelt, "The first time, that is."

"Hold on." Damon said, holding up a hand, "Back the milk train up. He died _twice_?"

"As I relayed before, my Mother cast a spell to take away certain memories from us before she died… I would imagine she did it to protect herself as much as us. What I've realized since the memories were restored is that after my brother's death, my mother turned to a very powerful necromancer who had been exiled from our village to bring my brother back, and when we were turned into vampires, so was he. Then, about six months later, while we were in the cave like every full moon, waiting out the change of our neighbors, Niklaus and Ioan made their first transitions into werewolves…a fight ensued and Henrik was bitten."

"Which brother bit him? Klaus? Because if this kid is after Klaus' blood, we have _serious_ problem—"

"No." Elijah replied sadly, "Ioan bit him, but it wasn't the bite that eventually killed him, it was…"

Elijah cast his eyes down and took a shallow breath as he felt Elena lean closer to him and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Elijah?" she whispered, but Elijah remained silent.

Only Damon's words drew him out

"Elijah, you put your brother out of his misery, didn't you?" he finally asked softly

Elijah looked up to Elena, then turned toward Damon, in whose face he instantly saw empathy.

"Yes," he said in a low tone, "I did."

# # # # # # #

**NEW WORLD 1044 A.D.**

**Elijah gently pushed open the door to one of the bedrooms of the family home where Rebekah had been sitting on the floor near the fire at Henrik's side for most of the afternoon. He lay on the straw mat going in and out of consciousness as his sister applied cold compresses to his pale, sweating forehead and arms in an attempt to suppress his raging fever. **

**When she heard Elijah enter the room, Rebekah silently got to her knees, brushing a loving hand over Henrik's face with a small smile, then stood, making her way toward her eldest brother. **

**She embraced him**

"**How is he?" Elijah asked in a low voice, holding his sister tighter, "And why isn't he in bed?"**

"**He was cold. Father moved him there this morning. He's strong and brave, but he's fading fast, Elijah," she replied in a hushed tones, pulling away to face him, "The rash is spreading, we can't bring the fever down…and he's starting to hallucinate."**

**Elijah nodded sadly, then brushed the back of his hand over Rebekah's cheek, "Why don't you take a rest. I'll stay with him." **

"**Alright, I'll tend to Mother," she smiled warily, then gave one last glance to Henrik over her shoulder before leaving the room. **

**Elijah closed his eyes and took in a deep breath to steady himself before making his way toward his youngest brother.**

**As he knelt down to Henrik's side, the boy's sinking eyes, brimmed red with sickness, opened and he turned his head to focus on Elijah with a weak smile. **

"**Have you found Niklaus?" he asked, his voice small and his breathing shallow**

**Elijah shook his head, placing a reassuring hand on Henrik's arm.**

"**No. He took off. Father thinks he may have injured him, so he couldn't have gotten far. Father is out with Finn and Kol, looking now. Don't worry, we'll find him." **

**Henrik's nostrils flared as he took in a staggered breath.**

"**I'm sorry…" he whispered, "I shouldn't have done what I did—it was foolish of me—"**

"**_No_, Henrik," Elijah replied, his voice breaking as he suddenly found himself quelling the emotions that rose inside him, "You did exactly what _any_ brother would have done—you stepped in front of Ioan to _protect_ him. You were loyal and brave, little brother. That is nothing to be sorry for." **

**Henrik smirked, then his expression dropped as he coughed violently, rolling toward the fire and spitting blood into the hearth.**

**Elijah could only grimace in pain as he watched his younger brother suffer through the escalating symptoms of the werewolf bite. **

**He decided, in that moment, that he couldn't let his brother suffer any longer-pale, sweating, coughing up blood. **

**Soon the hallucinations would get worse and he would become feral and violent. **

**_No_, he thought, _this has to end now. _**

**He owed Henrik that. **

**An hour before, Elijah had gone to see the witch Ayanna, who gave him something to ease Henrik's pain and th****e entire way home, he fought with himself over whether or not to go through with his plan and use it.**

**But, now, seeing his brother like this, he decided that watching him endure this illness for another hour or even another minute would be too much. **

**Elijah swallowed back his fear as Henrik turned onto his back once more and took a few difficult breaths.**

"**I—I finished the carving for you," Elijah said softly, reaching into one of his side satchels on his belt and retrieving the small wooden carving of a wolf that Henrik had asked him to make for him days earlier.**

**Henrik cocked his head and focused his eyes on Elijah as he presented it to him.**

"**Thank you," Henrik smiled as he brought a shaking hand up, wrapping his fingers around the piece and eyeing it lovingly, then clutched it to his chest, closing his eyes**

"**Will you do something for me, Elijah?" Henrik suddenly asked, opening his eyes again and turning toward his older brother once more.**

"**Anything," Elijah replied**

"**Could you move me toward the window so I can look upon the stars? The moon will be out tonight and I want to see it."**

**Elijah's lip trembled as he tried to keep his composure, "Sure, little brother."  
**

**He then went to work.**

**He walked across the room to the far window and threw the latch on the heavy wooden shutters, opening them and letting the cool night air in. ****He also pulled the large oak framed bed from the side wall toward the center of the room, so that it was facing the window. **

**When he returned to Henrik's side, he gently lifted him and his covers effortlessly into his arms, carrying him to the bed and laying him down carefully with his head at the foot of the bed. **

"**Why am I lying upside down?" Henrik asked in a weak voice**

"**Well," Elijah said, lying down on the bed next to his brother, adjusting himself to get comfortable and making sure Henrik's blankets were pulled high enough over him, "If you look through the window this way, it's just like laying in the wood clearing on a fall night stargazing."**

**Henrik smiled as he took in the sight for a moment, his eyes widening, "You're right..."**

"**Of course I'm right," Elijah smirked, leaning his head further back to gaze at the moon, "What moon do you see tonight?"**

**Suddenly, Elijah's heart sank at the horrible irony of this moment, when only the night before, he had quizzed his brother's knowledge of the moon cycle and helped him carve a picture of it on the cave wall before he had been bitten by a werewolf.**

"**Waning Gibbeous," Henrik replied in a weak voice, not missing a beat. He then sucked in a large quantity of air and coughed for a few moments, before taking in another rattling breath and grimaced, clutching his chest. **

"**Hey," Elijah reached over and stroked his brother's hair, trying to keep his brother's mind focused on the night sky and not the pain and sickness he was feeling, "Can you find The Hunter?" **

**Henrik's watering eyes slowly searched the sky, then he gave a small smile, turning to face Elijah**

**"You trick me, brother," he said, "The Hunter can only be seen in summer," **

"**That's right." Elijah replied, then nodded back to the sky, "Can you make out any shapes in the stars?" **

"**What do _you_ see?" Henrik asked, and Elijah could tell that his brother was getting tired, his energy waining as he lazily followed Elijah's gaze**

**Elijah narrowed his eyes as he looked among the constellations. **

"**I see… that one," he pointed with his left hand, "The one with the long pointed end. That looks like Finn taking a shot with his bow." **

"**Does he hit his target?" Henrik asked in a low tone, cocking his head to take in the constellation**

**Elijah closed his eyes in pain, a tear suddenly streaming down his left cheek.**

"**He never misses," he said softly as Henrik let out a short, barely audible gasp next to him**

**Moments later, Elijah opened his eyes as he forced himself to turn and look at his brother.**

**Henrik's skin was the color of ash and quickly hardening, his veins prominent on his face and neck as his body stilled and his eyes slowly closed, never to open again. **

**Elijah's face crumbled as he noticed the small, wooden wolf carving lying on the bed where it had fallen out of Henrik's hand.**

"**Jeg elsker deg, Henrik," Elijah whispered through his sobs, leaning over and kissing his brother's forehead, his right hand still grasping the handle of the white oak stake Ayanna had given him and spelled not to consume Henrik's body with fire so that he could be given the proper burial rituals—the one Elijah had silently driven into his younger brother's** **chest.**


	19. Chapter 19

**_((This is just a short blurb that came to me today. Nice Elijah/Damon moment. I felt like this was a stand- alone scene, so sorry, no other points of view in this chapter. Will update again soon. Thanks:)))_**

Elijah took a deep breath and turned to look out the window, suddenly feeling himself becoming emotionally overwhelmed.

He had just admitted to Damon and Elena something he hadn't admitted to anyone in nearly a thousand years…not really, even, until now, to himself.

Hell, he didn't even _remember it_ until about four hours ago when Misha gave him his lost memories back.

Now, it all began to sink in.

He had killed his little brother.

To keep him from suffering—yes—but he still drove the white oak stake through Henrik's heart like the trained hunter and warrior he was.

Elijah closed his eyes as he felt the tears start to well in his eyes.

"I have to get out of here…" he whispered, suddenly feeling himself become flushed

"Elijah, wait," Elena said, reaching out to him in concern, "What's wrong?"

"I have to _get out of here_." Elijah said, turning to her with a stern glance, a tear now falling down his cheek as he leaned toward the door and pulled the handle, releasing it to open.

"_Whoa!_ Elijah! Hang on!" Damon cried, then turned toward Stefan in the front seat and hit his arm, "Pull over!"

Stefan swerved to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes, just as Elijah's feet hit the pavement and he took off toward a nearby field at a quick pace.

"I should see if he's alright—" Elena said quickly, unbuckling her seatbelt.

But, Damon leaned forward and steadied her hand, not taking his eyes off the original through the open back passenger door.

"No, I'll go," he said in a soft, sympathetic voice before climbing out of the car.

As he rounded the front of the vehicle, he signaled to Stefan and he turned of the engine, watching his older brother walk toward Elijah, who was now crouched in the high grass with his head in his hands, taking deep, shallow breaths to try to calm himself.

At first, as he stepped high through the field, Damon wasn't exactly sure what had driven him to go after the original.

But as he approached this man, who was only a few years older than he was in human years, he suddenly realized that he was out there because, for the first time, he felt a strange kinship with Elijah Mikaelson.

Damon was an older brother, himself.

He knew what it meant to make sacrifices for his family-even the really horrific ones.

He also knew what it was like to watch someone you love die from a werewolf bite—suffer what felt like an endless agony—and be helpless to stop it.

"May I ask how you did it?" Damon asked in a low voice as he came to Elijah's side

Elijah sniffed, wiping under his eyes as he pulled his face out of his hands,

"It doesn't matter. It was a long time ago," he whispered

"Of course it matters, Elijah," Damon countered as he crouched down himself next to the original as Elijah looked away, folding his hands in front of him and balancing his arms on his knees, "Contrary to popular belief, time doesn't heal all wounds, it just forms scars that tend to ache every once in awhile."

Elijah smirked, but said nothing.

"You want to talk about it?" Damon asked narrowing his eyes

Elijah still said nothing.

"You know, I killed someone, too—someone I cared about who was dying from a werewolf bite," Damon continued softly as he looked down to the ground and plucked a piece of sweet grass from the field, rolling it between his fingers in thought, "I—I gave her a dream—well, a memory really—of her home back when she knew it...then I staked her and put her out of her misery."

Elijah suddenly turned to face Damon.

"I'm sorry," he said solemnly

"She was a good friend and I owed her one…" Damon smiled sadly, tossing the piece of grass away before he looked up to Elijah and met his gaze with soft eyes, "But I can only imagine what it must have been like to do it for your own brother."

Elijah felt his tears start coming again and looked up to the sky as if gravity would help keep them from falling.

"I staked my brother, too. One night while we were watching the stars..."

Damon lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Elijah."

"Not as sorry as I am," Elijah replied, his voice breaking, "Forgive me for losing it back there. These memories of Henrik as a vampire—of his death by my hand—they are just all _so new_ and the feelings that I remember are…intense and a bit_ overwhelming,_"

Damon nodded, "I know. But, it's good to feel them, Elijah. You should let yourself _feel."_

Elijah wiped under his eyes again as he looked foward

"Well, feeling is overrated," he scoffed with a smile, "Who gave you that _terrible_ advice?"

Damon smirked and jerked his head back toward the car and rolled his eyes.

"Just some girl we both know."

After a moments pause, Elijah's smile faded and he shook his head

"I just feel so _guilty," _he whispered_, "_I've always had justification, always had morality on my side. All the people I lost over the years—even the ones I killed, the innocents—to me, there was a purpose, some greater meaning. But, I don't think _any_ of that applies to killing your own brother…" he looked away in thought for another moment, then continued, "I just wish I could have saved him without doing what I did. He counted on me, Damon. He counted on me to protect him, counted on me to have all the answers, and I feel like I let him down…"

Damon took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder back toward the car and his own younger brother sitting in the driver's seat.

"I've been _there,_" he murmured, "And, trust me, that feeling your feeling—the guilt—it _never _goes away."

Damon then turned toward the original once more.

"You know, back when I was in the war, what you're experiencing with Henrik—what I've experienced myself—we called it 'Survivor's Guilt'. When someone you know or care about, dies, you always feel like there was something more you could have done and find yourself going through all the possible scenarios in your head as to how you could have done it all differently—how you could have saved them or taken their place. And you feel like you can't move on or ever truly be happy because they should be there, too…" Damon reached out and tentatively put his hand on Elijah shoulder, drawing the originals eyes to meet his, "But, let me tell you, it's a sure way to kill yourself, Elijah. All that hurt and pain—if you let it, it will _destroy you_. Trust me. I know. And I can think of at least _one _person we know who wouldn't want that."

Damon raised an eyebrow and Elijah immediately thought of Elena, turning to look back over his shoulder at the waiting SUV.

"And Henrik wouldn't want that, either." Damon said softly as he watched Elijah turn back and nod

"Then, what's your advice, may ask? From one slayer to another?" Elijah asked

"Well," Damon said, standing up with a sigh, "I suggest that _I_ walk back to the car and that _you_ have yourself a good cry out here for a few moments where no one can bother you...and then we carry on as planned. You'll just compartmentalize these feelings like you've done with everything else over the centuries—not bottle it up, mind you and not forget to feel it—just tuck it away for when your alone again sometime soon and able to down your sorrows with a bottle of scotch."

Damon winked and Elijah smirked

"I'll see you back there, then?" Damon smiled, pointing back toward the car and turning on his heel.

"Damon," Elijah suddenly said, looking over his shoulder to the oldest Salvatore Brother

"Yep?" Damon said, turning back with a raised eyebrow

"Thanks," Elijah said

"Well, the way I figure it, we older brothers gotta stick together..." Damon shrugged as he turned again, shoving his hands in his pockets as he continued to walk back toward the car, leaving Elijah alone to sort his thoughts.


	20. Chapter 20

Elena brushed a lock of hair behind her ear as she glanced down at her watch.

It had been at least twenty minutes since Damon and Stefan went inside Mystic Falls General Hospital, leaving her and Elijah alone in the SUV.

Elijah had been quiet since he had returned to the car following his episode back on the highway and, having herself suffered similar loss in her life, Elena understood his need and want for silence.

If he didn't want to talk, she wouldn't force him. Though it had been excruciatingly hard to sit alone with him for so long when there seemed to be so much to say between them.

Elena sighed and lay her head back against the head rest, finally closing her eyes as she tried to clear her head and simultaneously fight off a suddenly overwhelming feeling of fatigue.

Damon had been right not to allow her to go into the hospital with them to talk to Meredith.

She knew she would have to feed soon.

Just as she was close to letting herself fall into the deep calm of oblivion, Elena felt a hand caress her cheek. And when she opened he eyes and turned her head, she saw Elijah slowly pull his hand away, his eyes locking with hers.

She sat forward and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the return of Damon and Stefan, who seemed to open their car doors simultaneously and climb in.

Elijah immediately moved his eyes to the front seat and the Salvatore Brothers.

"What did you find out?" he asked

"Well," Damon sighed, reaching for his seat belt as Stefan started the car, "We got nada. No one saw what direction Matt left and he apparently didn't say anything after he woke up—he just disappeared. He could be anywhere by now. We are back to square one—"

"And, it seems that's not the worst of it—" Stefan said, turning to look over his shoulder at Elena

"Stefan!" Damon snapped

Stefan immediately turned and eyed his brother, "She deserves to know, Damon. She deserves to know what Klaus' little 'come back' means for her friend."

"What?" Elena urged suddenly sat forward, her voice urging as her eyes shot between the Salvatore Brothers.

Finally, Damon shot daggers at Stefan before turning over his shoulder to Elena as she asked the question again.

"_What is it_? Tell me."

Damon took a breath.

"Meredith said that Matt isn't exactly 'Matt' anymore. He's…" Damon trailed off, casting his gaze toward Elijah

"Henrik is in full possession. Matt has all of Henrik vampire powers doesn't he? Strength, speed…"

"The nurses confirmed it. Well, the one that's not seriously injured that is," Stefan replied

"Why are you making this sound like it's a _bad_ thing?" Elena asked narrowing her eyes, "Matt's alive for now, right? And when we figure out how to get Henrik to cross back over to wherever he came from, Matt will be okay—"

"Elena," Damon said, trying to keep his voice even, "You should... prepare yourself. Matt's body is broken in about a thousand different ways. According to Meredith, he has spine and neck trauma and a severe concussion. He was in a coma when Henrik took over his body."

Stefan continued, "Basically, how Henrik is using it now—channeling supernatural forces through it—Hell, even just walking too fast—it's doing serious damage to Matt by the second. If we don't find him in a timely manner and exercise Henrik from his body, Matt _will die_."

Elena to a breath and sat back in her seat, stunned

"Elijah," Stefan said, turning toward the original, "Do you have any idea where he could be going? _Anything?_ Even if it's a shot in the dark, we'll take it. Could he be looking for Klaus, maybe?"

"No." Elijah said, his eyes meeting Stefan's head on, "If Henrik was going after someone, it wouldn't be Klaus...it would be _me._"

"What?" Damon asked, taken back

"That's why my mother brought him back," Elijah said, looking from Elena to Damon to Stefan, "She needs to kill me to finally destroy Klaus and my siblings. She resurrected Henrik with a vengeance spell. Because I killed Henrik, his life-force is bound to me and he won't stop until he destroys me. And as consequence because of a connection my mother created long ago between, Klaus, the original doppelganger and myself, he will also kill Klaus."

"_Whoa…_" Stefan lamented, looking over to Damon

"Yeah…" Damon replied, still staring at Elijah dumbfounded, "But, if you're what little bro is after, why hasn't he found you yet?"

Elijah shook his head, "Honestly, I don't know."

"Wow, I never thought I would hear those words come out of your mouth in a situation like this." Damon smirked

"Ha..Ha…" Elijah shot back as Damon turned and plopped back down in his seat

"So, what now?" Elena asked, looking around the car

"_Now_," Damon said, signaling for Stefan to drive, "Elijah is going to lead us to Klaus."

"_What?"_ Elena cried, "Are you serious?"

"Yep." Damon responded, "We are going to take him with us and protect him until this whole thing blows over. My guess is that with Henrik on the Elijah's tail and, from what Bonnie says, Elijah being the only person who knows Klaus' hidden location, I think it's probably best to get to the buried treasure before something happens to the map."

# # # # # # #

When Misha's Jeep pulled into the drive of his house, Kol quickly unbuckled his seat belt, anxious to find out what was happening with his sister.

But just the belt cleared his shoulder, Misha put a hand on his arm to stead him.

"Wait," he said, closing his eyes and took a deep breath, "I sense something…"

After a few moments, his eyes opened swiftly and focused darkly on the house.

"Henrik," he whispered in a reverent tone

"_What_?" Kol asked, stunned as he followed Misha's gaze toward the house, "You mean Henrik is in there... with Rebekah."

"Yep," Misha replied, "And from the energy I'm feeling, it's not for a warm and fuzzy family reunion."

"Then, what does he want? And how is he even here?" Kol asked again, turning his head over his shoulder to gaze at the coffins in the back, "We have his body with us."

Misha closed his eyes again and cocked his head as he felt around in the ether, mentally.

"From what I can tell, he's occupying the body of another. Esther's a clever girl. It's someone Rebekah knows. That is how he was invited in." Misha answered in a low voice, "As for what he wants…"

Suddenly, his eyes opened again and he quickly turned and reached back, sliding over the bucket style seats of the Jeep as Kol grabbed hold of his legs to steady him.

"Misha, what the Hell are you doing?" he asked

Misha grunted as he flipped open the lid to Henrik's coffin and scanned the boy's upper body.

When he didn't see what he was looking for, he reached in and pulled open Henrik's leather vest, pressing his hand over the cotton tunic shirt beneath it.

As he worked his way up near the center of the boy's breast bone, he felt something.

Immediately, he drove his hand under the collar of the shirt and retrieved a small wooden carving of a half moon hanging on a rope around Henrik's neck.

He carefully pulled the necklace over the boys head, then shut the lid.

When he glided back over the seat with a huff, he handed the necklace to Kol.

"I'll go inside and distract him. Meanwhile, I need you to dispose of this any way you can—"

"_What?_" Kol asked, narrowing his eyes as he took the talisman in his hand, "Why?"

"You remember when Elijah killed Henrik to spare him the suffering of the werewolf bite?"

"Yes." Kol replied

"Well, I think I've figure out how and why your brother is here. Bonnie Bennett told me everything your Mother was planning and now, Esther is need of an alternative way to make sure your brothers, especially Elijah, die. It is a vengeance spell—has to be. I've only seen them performed a couple of times, mind you, but with _really_ disastrous results. It all makes sense now… that's the only explanation why Esther would raise Henrik _specifically_. He died by Elijah's hand. Now that he's raised, its Elijah's blood he wants and he won't stop until he kills him."

Then his eyes suddenly moved down to the necklace in Kol's hand.

"And he needs _that_ to do it. Tell me, do you remember who made that for Henrik?"

Kol closed his eyes in suddenly realization

"_Of course_," he whispered, "Elijah. He made a necklace for all of us."

Misha nodded, "Well, Henrik _died_ wearing that necklace and when he died, it forged a mark between him and Elijah. Now, Esther has used Henrik's necklace to forge another bond—like she did with Niklaus and Elijah—only she's made it between Elijah and Henrik. If Henrik channels his energies through the necklace and gets close enough, he could kill Elijah and worse, if Niklaus becomes corporeal again, he could kill _both _of them."

"With the connection working like a deadly triangle," Kol finished, clutching the necklace hard in his fist

Misha nodded again, reaching for the door handle and pushing the door open.

"That's why I need you to get rid of it while I distract our house guest."

# # # # # # #

"There is no need for this…_really_…" Elena groaned, holding on to Stefan's shoulders as he carried her piggy-back through Stephens Woods, walking in a measured step behind Damon and Elijah.

"You're weak." Damon called back to her over his shoulder, "If you insist on coming along, you get carried until you feed. Are we clear?"

"_Crystal…_" Elena murmured in a sarcastic reply, but knew Damon would pick it up with his vampire hearing.

They were silent as they continued to walk down the trail toward the ruins of the old Lockwood Mansion.

"Wow," Damon said when they came to the property's edge and turned to Elijah with a raised eyebrow, "_Really?_ He couldn't have picked a more incognito place to hide?"

Elijah smirked as he led the way toward the cellar steps.

But, sensing a presence waiting for them, Damon used his vampire speed to cut protectively in front of the original at the top of the stairway, but when he looked down to the bottom near the cellar door, found the last person he expected to see.

"Caroline?" he asked in a confused voice, looking back to Elijah, who he found wore a similar expression of surprise.

"Ummm… Hi." Caroline said nervously before sliding Klaus' IPad underneath the cellar door, then stood up from where she had been sitting on the bottom landing and brushed off her blue jeans.

Soon, Stefan and Elena arrived at Damon and Elijah's side.

"Caroline…" Elena said, reeling back from the shock as she looked over Stefan's shoulder and saw her friend, who was supposed to be about a hundred miles out of town, but instead seemed to be sitting outside the door of the man she was supposed to hate.

"What… are _you_ doing here?" Elena finally forced out

"I…" Caroline started, then stopped, her mouth hanging open, "Well…I…"

"Enough monologue Barbie," Damon said, rolling his eyes as he stepped forward and bounded down the stairs, "We're not here for you."

"_Wait_." Caroline said in a serious tone, stepping in between Damon and the cellar door as he reached the bottom landing, "You're _not_ going to hurt him, right?"

"Hold on," Elena said, still confused, "You've known Klaus was in there the whole time?"

"Yes." Caroline replied, her voice confident, her eyes darting to the four faces in front of her

"And you were _what, _exactly?" Damon countered, looking Caroline up and down incredulously, "Playing the jailer? Keeping him company?"

"You don't know _anything…_" Caroline shot back in a low harsh tone

"Hmm…" was Damon's only reply as he smirked, loving to see Caroline squirm under pressure.

"Excuse me?" Elijah interrupted, placing a hand on Damon's shoulder, "But can I get to my brother now?"

Damon cocked an eyebrow at Caroline and after huffing and crossing her arms over her chest, she relented and stepped out of Damon and Elijah's way.

The two male vampires stood looking at the door for a moment before Damon gave a quick glance toward Elijah, then tried the door handle.

And tried…

And tried…

All of this to Caroline's amusement.

Finally, Elijah put his hand on Damon's arm and pulled him back.

"It's not that simple, Damon. Bonnie would have spelled it so that only _I_ can open it. Klaus wouldn't trust anyone else."

Elijah thought for a moment, continuing to study the titanium door before a realization hit him and he slowly raised his right hand in front of his face before placing it, palm forward, onto the door.

The door shook slightly at the contact, then suddenly, looked like it had caught fire as a long inscription emblazoned itself across the top of titanium.

**Πληκτρολογήστε το όνομα****του****ένας****προσφιλής****σε σένα****και εισάγετε**

"Well, that's nifty," Damon quipped, staring at the door, "Props to Bonnie for that one. But, what the Hell does it say?"

"It's Greek," Elijah answered, pulling his hand from the door and running it under the inscription, "It reads: 'Spell the name of the endeared one to thee and enter'."

"Well, that's not hard at all," Stefan said sarcastically from the top of the cellar stairs, "Do you happen to know the answer to such a question, Elijah?"

Elijah smirked, casting a glance up the stairs to the younger Salvatore

"Of course I do."

He then moved his eyes forward as he took a deep breath and began touching each letter of the Greek alphabet in the inscription that corresponded with the appropriate English letter —every one glowing as he singled it out while a thousand memories flooded his mind from his childhood.

When he had touched all the appropriate letters, the rest of the inscription disappeared, assembling the word Elijah had spelled.

"Ejah…" Elijah whispered, remembering his childhood nickname with fondness as he gazed upon it.

Then, he took a step back when he heard the lock click and watched as the titanium door opened.

**# # # # # # # #**


	21. Chapter 21

"Elijah, hold on." Damon called as Elijah stepped instinctively forward to walk through the open door, "_Klaus_ is in there—"

Elijah looked over his shoulder, studying Damon for a moment and the younger vampire's palpable fear at the thought of seeing his nemesis again, before answering.

"I don't fear my own brother. If I did, he would _truly_ be alone." Elijah replied before turning forward and walking into the darkness of the cellar.

As he walked along the path of light that spread from outside the door to the center of the room, Elijah smirked as he saw Klaus' drawing pad and pencils on the floor next to a few blood bags.

**_Signs of life_**… he thought to himself

As he kept going, he could sense Caroline and Damon following behind him, but nothing that would point to Klaus.

Finally, as he approached the cage near the far side of the stone wall, Elijah heard Tyler Lockwood's voice inside it. He had only ever heard it a few times, hanging around Elena and her friends, but would still know it anywhere.

"Thanks for your help, Bonnie," Tyler said softly, "I think he's here."

Then there was a moment of silence before Tyler stepped through the cage doorway and out of the shadows, the brightness of a single-bare light bulb illuminating his face.

Elijah immediately stopped dead in his tracks, taking in Tyler's face as his mind absorbed what he was seeing.

It was true. His brother's essence was in someone else's body.

But, he was alive...Niklaus was _alive..._

As Elijah's eyes continued to scan his brother's new vessel, Tyler in turn eyed Elijah as he slipped his phone back into his jean pocket.

Finally, Tyler opened his mouth to say something, but Elijah spoke first.

"Is it really you?" he whispered, tentatively stepping forward

Damon smirked behind him to hold back a chuckle. He wasn't sure why he found the comment so funny, but he did.  
He quickly stifled it, however, when he felt Caroline hit his shoulder hard in disapproval.

"Klaus?" Elijah said softly, narrowing his eyes as he moved closer

A small smile crossed Tyler's face

"Dt er meg, bror…" he acknowledged in the language of their childhood

Elijah suddenly took in a deep breath and moved with vampire speed, quickly closing the distance between himself and Tyler, pulling him into an embrace.

Tyler seemed shocked by the action, but his face softened when Elijah whispered in his ear.

"I thought I lost you, brother.." the older original said in a low voice, now cracking with emotion as he held his brother's vessel tighter.

"Now, that's _not funny_," Caroline whispered over to Damon as she took in the moment

"No," Damon replied, also studying the brothers with kind eyes and a small, sympathetic smile, as Tyler finally brought his arms around Elijah to return his embrace, "That's not funny at all."

# # # # # # # #

Misha opened the unlocked front door of his house with caution, wincing a little when it creaked, announcing his arrival.

So much for the element of surprise…

But, really, how much element of surprise can one hope to have when trying to sneak up on two vampires?

Misha kept his eyes peeled and his senses open as he slowly walked down the hallway.

As he came to front parlor, he noticed one of the French doors was closed and the other was slightly open.

He took a breath, then stepped forward, nudging the door further open to look inside. Immediately, he saw Rebekah sitting in one of the leather chairs, looking at him with pleading eyes.

But, before Misha could go to her, he found himself tossed against a far wall and pinned there by a figure he barely had time to see.

When the resonance of the blow wore off, Misha opened his eyes, staring directly into the face of someone he had never seen before.

He struggled for a moment, but stopped as the grip the young blonde man had on his throat tightened.

"Hello, Misha," he said softly

"Henrik," Misha whispered in acknowledgement, "You look…_different_."

"Glad to see you recognize me after all these years," Matt smirked, then looked over his shoulder at Rebekah for a moment, then back to the warlock, "Took my sister a bit longer to figure it out. Then again, you've got special powers… No fair."

"Who's body did you take, may I ask?" Misha asked narrowing his eyes, "And is that poor boy still in there with you?"

"Oh, just one of the doppleganger's little friends, from what I understand, and yes, he's still in here," Matt smirked with a raised eyebrow, "_Persistent,_ too. He's scratching and scratching, but he'll _never _get out. But, enough small talk. Where is Kol?"

"He's getting the coffins out of the car. He'll be here any second." Misha responded

"Good," Matt said with a satisfied smile, releasing the warlock

"Rebekah," Misha said, his gaze turning to Rebekah still in the chair on the other side of the room, "Are you alright?"

Rebekah nodded somewhat reluctantly

"Yes. Rebekah and I have been catching up, haven't we sister?" Matt said, making his way over to Rebekah's side, taking a knee next to the arm of her chair and reaching over to stroke Rebekah's cheek as she turned away, disgusted, "She's told me everything I need to know…well, that is, everything _except_ where I can find Elijah and I hate to say it, but my patience is running thin…" he then quickly grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him, "_Where is he_?"

"I don't know." Rebekah said sternly, glaring at him with tearing eyes

"Are you sure?" Matt asked, inching closer

"Yes." Rebekah replied, closing her eyes in fear, "He didn't tell us where he was—"

"We contact him by phone," Misha interrupted to spare Rebekah and turn Matt's attention back to him, "Here. You can have mine. His number is in there."

Matt eyed Misha as he reached into the pocket of his blue jeans and retrieved his IPhone, tossing it toward him.

Matt caught it with his free hand, then flared his nostrils and released Rebekah with the other, and she took a relieved breath as she fell back into the chair.

"So, you're really going to do it, then?" Misha asked softly, "You're going to kill your _own brother_?"

"I am," Matt said, rising to his feet, "Blood must be paid for blood taken—"

"Why?" Misha shot back, "Because Esther says so?"

"I heard her—My mother-she she called me in my eternal sleep. She told me what my siblings have become and that _I _have to end it—"

"Henrik, please! You don't have to do this," Rebekah interjected in a pleading voice, "Everything Elijah did, he did because he loved you and he _still _loves you…we _all_ do—"

"Silence! You're words mean nothing to me!" Matt cried over his shoulder at his sister and Rebekah recoiled

"Rebekah, you're wasting your breath," Misha said, drawing Matt's glaring eyes back toward him, "This isn't the Henrik we knew—that Henrik is gone. When Esther brought him back, she altered him. He doesn't care about any of us…he's under a spell to do your Mother's will no matter what the consequences, isn't that right, Henrik?"

Just then, Kol's voice sounded in the hallway.

"Misha! Where are you? I've got the coffins in."

"Finally," Matt whispered to himself, then moved quickly toward the French doors, disappearing through them.

Moments later, there was a loud crash and Rebekah and Misha watched as Kol came flying through the same French doors into the room, sliding across the wooden floor and landing at Rebekah's feet.

She immediately got up out of the chair and dropped to floor at his side to make sure he was alright, just as Matt reappeared in the doorway snapping one of the coffin lids in half over his knee and tossing it aside.

"Where is it?" he asked, his eyes flashing to Kol, then back to Misha before he marched into the center of the room and screamed louder, "_Where is it?_!"

"Where is…_what_?" Misha asked cooley

"My necklace!" Matt responded angrily, "It should be with me in my coffin—I never took it off—"

"You sure about that?" Misha responded coyly

Matt roared and flung himself straight at Misha pinning him to the wall again

"Tell me where my necklace is and I won't kill you," Matt coaxed, lowering his face to Misha's

Misha narrowed his eyes, but said nothing

"_Fine_," Matt said, "I'm going to kill Elijah with _or_ without the necklace. But, I'll tell you right now, it will be less painful for him _with it_.."

"I don't know where it is," Misha shot back as Matt started tightening his grip on the warlock's throat

"See, I don't believe you, "Matt replied, squeezing harder on Misha's neck, causing Misha's eyes to roll back into his head as he tried to kick himself free.

"Wait! _Wait_!" Kol suddenly cried, "Don't kill him. I have the necklace."

Matt's eyes turned to the original as Kol pulled the half moon necklace out of his jean pocket and dangled it out of his hand.

"Kol! No!" Misha sputtered, shell shocked and still fighting against Matt's grip

"Kol, are you crazy?" Rebekah asked in stunned disbelief, fighting to grab the necklace from her brother, but Kol held her back with one hand as he continued to hold the necklace out to Matt.

"Just take it and _go_." Kol said sternly

Matt suddenly released Misha, who fell against the wall, gasping for air and marched toward Kol.

But, just as he reached out to take possession of the necklace, it flew out of Kol's hand and up to the vaulted ceiling, attaching itself to the stucco, where it couldn't be reached.

Matt quickly turned back to Misha, glaring at the warlock, who was still holding out his hand, his eyes fixed to the ceiling as he channeled his powers to keep the necklace high above them all and out of Matt's grasp.

Matt cast a glance up to the ceiling, then with an angry cry moved with vampire speed toward Misha and snapped his neck.

"_No!_" Rebekah screamed, lurching forward, but Kol held her back, a look of shock crossing his own face as they watched Misha's body fall limp to the floor with a thud, his neck twisted.

Almost immediately, the necklace fell from the ceiling and Matt turned back and caught it, rubbing his thumb over the carving in his palm before placing over his neck and tucking it under his shirt collar.

He looked over to Rebekah still whimpering in Kol's grasp, her face already stained with uncontrollable tears.

"Thank you for your assistance," Matt smirked, then with a flash of vampire speed, disappeared.

"Let me go!" Rebekah cried as she freed herself from Kol's hold and raced to Misha's side, taking his head into her lap and cradling it as she looked down into his blank eyes.

"No…Misha…No…" she wept as Kol came to the other side of Misha's body and after a moment, respectfully closed the warlock's eyelids.


	22. Chapter 22

Rebekah took in a trembled breath, sitting with her knees hugged to her chest as she looked across Misha's body to Kol. She wasn't sure how long they had sat there in silence, staring at their dead friend, but she knew they couldn't do it forever.

"We should call Elijah," Rebekah said softly

Kol lifted his eyes to meet hers for a moment, then turned slightly and reached into his jean pocket to retrieve his phone.

"I'll make the call," he whispered, "It's my fault he's…"

He took a deep breath as he trailed off, unable to say the words out loud

Rebekah eyes softened in sympathy as she reached across Misha's body, resting her right hand gently onto Kol's.

"You did what you did to try to save us. What happened wasn't your fault. Misha was right. Whoever we're dealing with isn't Henrik—at least not the Henrik we knew."

She then moved her hand to take the IPhone out of Kol's grasp.

"We'll do it together," she said as she turned on the phone and dialed Elijah's number, then hit the speaker phone button.

# # # # # # #

"Alright, what is with the Light Brigade?" Tyler asked, looking over Elijah's shoulder to Damon and Caroline and then to Elena and Stefan as they too entered the cellar.

Elijah smirked as he released Tyler from their embrace and turned back to face the others.

"The…_what_?" Damon asked, narrowing his eyes

Tyler opened his mouth to say something, but Caroline interrupted, rolling her eyes at Damon.

"It's a literary reference—a poem—'The Charge of the Light Brigade' by Lord Tennyson. Geez, Damon, pick up a book."

She chuckled to herself as she turned back toward Tyler and Elijah.

Elijah smiled, casting a glance at Tyler, who Caroline suddenly saw was now looking right at her, studying her as if seeing her for the very first time.

Her heart skipped and she bit her lip, suddenly flushing and turning away slighly as Tyler stepped toward her.

"_What?_" she asked with nervous smile, "I _read._"

Just then, Elijah's phone rang in his pocket.

"Excuse me. It's the siblings," he after checking the screen, then hit the answer button, "Hello?"

There was a short silence on the other end of the line before Rebekah spoke in a soft voice.

"Elijah…something has happened."

Elijah's eyes narrowed immediately, "Rebekah, are you alright?"

"I'm—I'm fine—" Rebekah said, trying to keep from breaking into hysterics, but failing miserably

"Elijah," Kol suddenly interjected, "Henrik was here at the house."

"Hold on," Elijah said, casting a worried glance over at the others, "I'm going to put you on speaker phone."

Elijah hit the speaker button on his phone, then walked over to Tyler, Caroline and Damon

"Go ahead, Kol," Elijah said

"Henrik was here at the house. He's taken over Matt Donovan's body and he's got the whole package—I couldn't fight him, Elijah. He was very _strong._"

"Henrik?" Tyler asked in a shocked voice looking around the room, "How—"

"We'll explain later," Stefan replied, still holding Elena on his back

"Why was he there in the first place?" Damon asked into the phone

"He was looking for Elijah," Kol answered and Elijah and Damon shared a look, "And that's not all. Misha said that he was there because he needed something-his necklace—the one you made him, Elijah—and he _got it_."

Elijah closed his eyes and swore silently as Tyler shot a worried glance in his direction

"Misha_?_" he asked his older brother, "Misha's _here_?"

Elijah nodded

"He's been helping me for some time, while I've been trying to figure out what Mother's been up to," Elijah said, then leaned closer to the phone, "Kol, did Misha say what Henrik needed the necklace _for_?"

"He didn't go into specifics, but he said that if Henrik got a hold of it, he could use it to channel Esther's magics—to finally kill you _and_ Klaus, once he's corporeal again."

"Did he get Ioan's body?" Tyler asked, his voice brimming with concern

"No," Kol answered, "It's still here."

Elijah took a deep breath, "Kol, put Misha on the phone,"

There was a moment of silence before Kol spoke again, "Elijah, Misha is dead."

Tyler's eyes immediately moved to Elijah as the elder original closed his eyes in pain, all the blood seeming to drain out of his face.

"Elijah…" Tyler whispered, moving to his side and taking his arm

"How?" Elijah whispered into the phone, not opening his eyes

"Henrik snapped his neck," Kol answered, "It was my fault, Elijah. It was _all_ my fault. Misha told me to destroy the necklace—but Henrik had Misha and Rebekah—I-I thought I could bargain it to him to keep them safe. But, it didn't work. He killed Misha anyway…"

"Kol," Elijah said suddenly, opening his eyes, "I need you to look down at Misha's right hand."

"What?" Kol asked in a confused tone, "What does that—"

"Just _look_, Kol_, please_…" Elijah said in resolute voice as Tyler moved his hand to Elijah's shoulder

"You think he still has it?" Tyler whispered, furrowing his eyebrows

"I hope so," Elijah replied nervously, "We've kept our talismans all these centuries."

"Alright, what am I looking for?" Kol asked on the other end of the line

"A ring," Tyler said, "It will be a silver braided band with a square onyx stone in the center."

"Hold on," Kol retorted, his eyes quickly meet Rebekah's as she moved closer to Misha's side, pulling his right arm out from underneath him.

She gasped audibly into the phone when she turned his wrist.

"Yes," Rebekah acknowledged in a surprised tone, holding his hand in hers and eyeing the ring on Misha's pinky finger, "Why?"

Tyler and Elijah both breathed a sigh of relief.

"He'll be fine, Rebekah," Elijah said into the phone, "It may take a few hours, but he'll wake up like nothing happened."

"_What?_" Kol and Rebekah asked in unison

"It's an eternity ring," Elijah replied, "The onyx stone is spelled to keep the person who wears it from dying of un-natural causes. Misha's had it for as long as I've known him. Ayanna made it for him."

Rebekah let out a relieved sigh as tear started streaming down her face, her eyes looking down to Misha.

"Wow, Elijah. That is _really _good news." Kol said, his own relief palpable

"Tell me about it," Elijah smiled, then the smile faded, "But I'm still having a hard time believing that it was Henrik that killed him."

"The essence that's in Matt's body—I'm telling you that _wasn't_ our brother, Elijah. Misha had it right-Mother's altered him. He doesn't care about anything or anyone…except taking us all out."

Elijah sighed, "Just stay with Misha until Damon and I can come and pick up Ioan's body in a few hours."

"Will do," Kol said, then hung up

Elijah hit the end button and put the phone back into his jean pocket.

"Well, that was interesting," Tyler said, raising an eyebrow, "I propose that, in the car, we fill each other in on the gaps in our story, eh?"

"Yeah," Elena said softly, her eyes narrowing in confusion, "Like, how it is that Misha had an eternity ring."

"You mean like the one Rick and Jeremy have?" Caroline interjected

"Wait…_Misha_…" Damon whispered and then his eyes suddenly widened as his gaze moved to Stefan, "Wasn't that the name of John Gilbert's black manservant?"

Stefan nodded, stunned at his brother's memory, "Yes. It was."

Elijah smiled at the Salvatore Brothers, "Nothing gets past you, does it, Damon? When he wakes up, and you finally meet, Misha will be touched you remembered him."

Tyler smirked, "That would explain what Misha is doing here. He's been here since the 1860s hasn't he? You had him come over from Europe to track Katerina."

Elijah nodded, then looked to Elena, "When the vampires arrived in Mystic Falls, who do you think made John Gilbert _his _ring?"


	23. Chapter 23

_**Mystic Falls, Virginia, 1864**_

_Violin music filled the Gilbert Mansion on a Sunday afternoon, as Samantha Gilbert fluttered through the crowd of women milling in and out of the hallways and the front parlor as she did her hostess duties. _

_The Ladies Aide Society meeting would start in just a few minutes—they were just waiting for two or three more guests to arrive._

_Suddenly, the Victorian door chime rang and two black servants, a maid and a manservant, made their way to the front foyer. When the front door finally opened, several pairs of eyes turned to gaze upon Katherine Pierce as she crossed the threshold._

_She smiled politely at her gawkers before turning in a small circle so that the maid could help remove her wrap._

_As the maid backed away, Katherine turned to the tall, black manservant, still holding the door for her._

"_Thank You, Misha." Katherine acknowledged as she swept into the foyer to greet the other ladies_

"_Miss Katherine," Misha bowed, closing the front door behind her_

_As he turned back and watched her fall into the crowd, easily picking up conversation with the other ladies as a servant made her a cup of tea. _

_Misha straightened, folding his hands behind his back as he took his place against the wall, standing in the traditional servants stance, waiting to be called upon again._

_He didn't have to wait long._

"Ahh…I miss the old days, don't you?" a man's voice suddenly came from beside him and Misha turned, coming face to face with Jonathan Gilbert, his former employer, in full dress attire.

Misha's eyes narrowed, then he looked down to his outfit and then followed the inventor's brown eyes they continued to scan the room with a nostalgic smile.

Misha immediately took in a breath as he suddenly realized that this wasn't a memory of Jonathan Gilbert he was seeing or remembering from his past life—this moment never happened in the past.

No, Jonathan Gilbert was there, talking to him, present-tense, in a memory they were re-visiting together.

But, why?

Why would Jonathan Gilbert want to talk to him after all these centuries?

"Why am I here? Am I dead?—" Misha asked, but was suddenly cut off by his companion

"Dead? Yes…Well, no, not _quite_," Jonathan said, as he turned to Misha, raising his right hand and showing his onyx eternity ring, emblazoned with the Gilbert family crest. He then nodded down toward Misha's own ring, "We have a way of cheating death, remember? Don't fret, you'll be sent back soon"

"Then, why _am_ I here?" Misha asked calmly

"You are here because this is the only safe opportunity she has to speak with you."

"Through my memories? Who would want to do that?" Misha asked, suddenly confused and Jonathan Gilbert shrugged

"I'm just an entity of the past now, Misha, a ghost if you will. I don't know what the witch wants from you, I just do what I'm told and go to who I must. You see, _I _brought you here. But, the witch I did it for—she called me to help her because she's pretty confident that Esther will never think to look for you in this part of the spirit realm. She's probably right—"

"Wait! How do you know about _Esther_?" Misha stepped closer

"A little birdie told me." Jonathan winked, then turned and started walking down the hall, waving a hand and beckoning Misha to follow him.

"Come," he said, watching over his shoulder as Misha blinked his eyes for a few moments, then took a deep breath and fell in step behind him as they passed through the long corridor and down the servant's steps into the kitchen.

When they had descended the stairs, Jonathan stepped to one side at the landing, allowing Misha his first view of what awaited them.

She was a small woman, about forty-five, with long, dark braided hair and smooth chocolate skin.

Her dress was blue and her eyes, the color of honey.

And, from the moment he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes immediately locked with Misha's and never left them from that moment on, even when she dismissed Jonathan Gilbert.

"Thank You, Mr. Gilbert," she said in a soft, kind voice that made a thousand memories rush through Misha's mind at once, "You're now free to go."

Misha broke eye contact with the woman for just a few moments as he felt Jonathan Gilbert's hand on his shoulder.

Then he watched as, with another small smile, Jonathan Gilbert's spirit slowly evaporated into thin air.

Misha immediately turned back to the woman at the table, still stunned

"I—I— How?" he breathed, unable to find the words

"It's been a long time, Misha. I'm sorry this is the only way we could speak. I had to use the ring you made Jonathan Gilbert in 1864 as a connection. I foresaw your death and—"

"Mama?" Misha whispered, narrowing his eyes in disbelief

Ayanna smiled as she stood from her chair and quickly came forward, taking Misha's collapsing face in her hands.

"Yes. I'm _finally_ here to help you, Baby," she said softly as she pulled him into an embrace.

# # # # # # # # # # #

"Well, that's just—I—I —" Elena's eyes rolled back in her head, her head fell backward and she suddenly lost her grip on Stefan's shoulders.

"Elena!" Elijah cried as he moved with vampire speed toward her, catching her in his arms before she could hit the cellar's concrete floor.

Stefan turned, but it had not been fast enough to catch her. His eyes closed in relief when he sensed Elijah's presence and quickly saw that Elijah had her safely cradled against his chest, just as Damon flew forward and placed a hand on Elena's forehead, then her cheek, then reached down and took the pulse on the side of her neck.

"She's still alive," Damon reported with sigh of relief and four vampires and a hybrid, none of whom really _needed_ to breathe or sigh, also did so in relief.

"Her pulse is pretty weak, though," Damon continued, looking over his shoulder toward Tyler/Klaus with a smirk, "I think this day has been a little overwhelming… for _all of us_." He then turned back to Stefan and Elijah, "We should get her and Tyler-slash-Klaus back to the house...Hey, that rhymed."

Elijah and Stefan nodded in agreement and Damon got to his feet, just as Stefan stepped forward, holding out his arms to take Elena from the original.

"Thanks, Elijah," Stefan said sternly, "I'll take it from here."

Elijah eyed Stefan for a moment, then his eyes shifted down to Elena, before adjusting his grip and pulling Elena closer to him as if protecting her.

He stared long and hard at Stefan, distrust clearly showing in his eyes. Stefan took another step forward and a growl quickly escaped Elijah's throat. Stefan stopped immediately and turned toward Damon, giving him a 'a little help here' look.

Elijah also moved his eyes toward Damon, but it was more of a look of polite permission, waiting for Damon to counter him taking Elena.

But Damon just raised his hands and stepped back with a sly smile, seeming to enjoy the fact that someone other than him had put Stefan in his place.

"I think Elijah's got this, Stefan." He said, nodding toward the original

Elijah gave one last look down to Elena in his arms, then quickly turned and with vampire speed, made his way through the doorway and up the stairs.

When he was gone, Damon moved forward and put his hand on Stefan's shoulder, still grinning as Stefan huffed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, well," Tyler/Klaus mused, as passing by the brothers as he moved toward the doorway, stopping to lean down and pick up his sketchpad and pen, then toss them into the bag he had flung over his shoulder, "It seems I'm not the only one who feels that the worst thing for Elena Gilbert alive or, now it seems, dead…is at least _one, _if not the _two_ of you." When he straightened, his eyes meeting Stefan's for a moment, then he smiled, "When we get back to your little 'command central', I have something to show you, Stefan. It may give you some perspective."

He then turned toward where Caroline was still standing on the other side of the room.

"Come, love," he said sweetly, holding out his left hand and, with a small smile, Caroline stepped forward and took it as he led her out of the cellar, leaving the Salvatore Brothers in the darkness.

# # # # # # #

"Okaaaaay…" Caroline said with a small chuckle as she closed her car door and turned to look at Tyler/Klaus in the front passenger seat, "What was _that_ all about?"

Tyler/ Klaus only smirked as he watched through the windshield as the SUV in front of them with Damon, Stefan, Elijah and a still unconscious Elena, pull away.

He then turned face Caroline, his eyes studying her intently.

"Thank you for coming for me back there and for staying with me after finding out…well, you know…that I'm not exactly who I _was"_ he said softly, "I want you to know that it meant _a lot_ to me. And I can't tell you how glad I am to see your face, again—"

"Well, _I'm really_ glad that you're here…that you didn't really leave…that you're _not dead_," Caroline replied breathlessly, her face contorting in pain, trying to hold back the tears that she felt suddenly coming in overwhelming force.

As if sensing this, Tyler/Klaus, reached out and took her face in his hands in empathy as he watched one tear escape and fall down her right cheek unleashing the floodgates.

"Hey…_Hey_…Caroline…" he said in a soothing voice, resting his forehead against hers as he tried to bring her attention back to him. And, when her blue eyes finally met his, he pulled back, stroking her cheek, "I'm here…And I'm not going _anywhere_, not if you'll have me…"

Caroline took a short breath, bringing her own hand to Tyler/Klaus' face, watching his eyes close at her touch.

"I can't believe how sweet you are right now…" she whispered, "After everything that's happened, after how I treated you...You still..."

"What do you mean?" Tyler/Klaus asked, taken aback

"All those times you showed me how you felt and I just blew it off…." she closed her eyes with a trembled lip, "And it took you telling me you were leaving and then finding out you were dead and lying alone without my boyfriend in a lonely hotel room, that I _finally_ realized that I never got a chance to say what I really wanted to say to you—not the snappy comebacks or the blow-offs—or the little flirtations just because I could—what I _really_ wanted to say—what I only _dreamed_ about saying because the idea and the reality of being attracted to you—of being with you just seemed impossible what with Elena and Tyler—"

"Caroline, listen to me," Tyler/Klaus said softly, leaning forward, "_Say it now_."

"What?" Caroline asked wiping another tear from her cheek as she studied his face

"Just, say it now. Everything you wanted to say back then. I'm right here, in front of you-a captive audience. If you still feel the same…then say it now."

Caroline just stared at Klaus for a moment, the last tear falling from her left eye and down her cheek as she finally steadied herself and took a deep breath before taking Klaus' hands from the side of her face and pulling them down into her own, holding them tightly in her lap as she spoke.

"Klaus…" her eyes locked with his and her mouth opened, but nothing else came out

She rolled her eyes in frustration and grunted in defeat.

"You look like Tyler…I—I can't do this…"

Tyler/Klaus smirked as he re-positioned their hands so that he was taking hers in his and brought them to his chest.

"How about this…" he offered, "Close your eyes."

Caroline studied his face for a few moments, a small smile crossing her lips when he raised an eyebrow in anticipation.

"Alright," she responded softly, sniffing and flipping her head to toss her hair over her shoulder as she straightened and sat forward, closing her eyes.

"We're at my mansion and were are in the parlor in front of a fire in the darkness of the room, dancing to Nat King Cole—"

"Nat King Cole?" Caroline asked, keeping her eyes closed but raising an eyebrow

"Yes, I like Nat King Cole," Tyler/Klaus countered with a small chuckle, "Is that a problem?"

"No…No…" Caroline smiled, clearly backpedaling, "You just don't strike me as the Nat King Cole _type_."

"What is that suppose to mean? Lots of thousand year-old vampires with a dark past listen to Nat King Cole...Elijah's a _huge_ fan-"

"Alright, I'm sorry!" Caroline said, impatiently, still managing to keep her eyes closed, "Continue…"

Tyler/Klaus rolled his shoulders and put himself back into the moment.

"And I'm looking you right in the eyes, like you are the only person in the room with me—because honestly," he said in a low voice, "That is how it's _always_ been with you…"

Caroline took a staggered breath as she envisioned the scene in her mind and Klaus in front of her—his face smooth and sweet, his eyes boring into hers as he leads her around the floor in a dark t-shirt and stone washed jeans.

"Then what?" she asked breathlessly

"Then…" Tyler/Klaus whispers and Caroline can feel him leaning in toward her and envisions him doing the same in her vision of them dancing, "I say, 'Caroline, you've aroused feelings in me that I haven't felt in a very long time. You _are_ strong, you _are_ beautiful, you _are_ full of light—and all of those are things that I admire in you. I could never ask or expect for someone like you to ever care for someone like me. I'm a monster—'"

"Klaus—" Caroline interrupted, but Klaus continued ignoring the interruption

"_I'm a monster_, someone who has spent a thousand years using people, even his own siblings, as he worked toward his own selfish gain. I never thought of or cared for anyone—least of all about those who stood in my path. That is, until I came to Mystic Falls, and I met you. And not only did you stand in my path, love, you wouldn't budge. While I was here, I admit that I did terrible things—I killed, I tormented, I hurt those you loved as well as your friends. And I can't say I'm sorry for what I've done, because, I _honestly_ think there is a part of me that will never allow me to admit that. But I _am_ sorry I hurt you—as much as you may think otherwise, it was never my intention to do so."

There was a long pause before Klaus spoke again,

"'I think I might need you, Caroline, and I haven't ever needed anyone. I need you to save me. I thought I had been alone so long that I had gotten used to it, until I saw you and I knew right then, that with you, I could _never _be lonely again. You see, I fell in love with you, Caroline—with everything about you. I'm not going to apologize for how I feel, it is how I feel and nothing will change that. But I am not so selfish as to assume that you could be mine alone, so I will understand if you don't feel the same. I can't guarantee that I won't be hurt or that I may never move on, but I will respect your decision because I truly do care for you and your happiness is the most important thing to me. You must know however, that you have consumed me body and soul and that I never wished to be parted from this century forth you if you'll have _me_—if you'll choose to love _me_. Will you?"

When he finished, Tyler/Klaus waited for Caroline to respond, still holding her hands to his chest.

With her eyes still closed, in her own mind, Caroline was speechless both in the car and in her vision with Klaus, dancing at his home.

"Caroline?" Klaus asked in her vision, his voice smooth with his accent, then she heard it again in Tyler's voice as Tyler/Klaus asked again in the car, "Caroline?"

"So, it's my turn to say something chatter-box?" Caroline smiled, her eyes still closed

She heard Tyler/Klaus chuckle in front of her and, in her mind, she saw Klaus' face do the same as they continued to dance.

"Alright," she whispered, leaning forward, "I'll say it now…"

And before she could talk herself out of it, she moved forward and in her vision captured Klaus' mouth (and in the car, Tyler/Klaus' mouth) in a deep, sensual kiss.

Their lips danced hungrily for a few moments before Caroline pulled back and opened her eyes, bringing herself back to reality and searching Tyler's face, and for the first time, recognizing Klaus' eyes, there in front of her.

"Yes," she whispered in answer to his question

Tyler/ Klaus took in her face in awe for another moment, still seemingly stunned by her words, before he finally spoke

"That's _all?_" he smirked, "That's all you have to say?"

"Honestly, Klaus, there really can be only _one_ monologue in a love scene and you just stole stage. We'll get to my monologue another time. Besides," Caroline said, leaning forward and whispering dangerously close to his lips, "Don't you like the 'show' better than the 'tell'?"

Tyler/Klaus nodded before Caroline smiled and pulled him for another long kiss, pushing him back against the passenger side door.


	24. Chapter 24

_**((Gentle readers—Thank You for your reviews regarding my last chapters. I appreciate all of your feedback. Emotions are high for our characters right now and you all have been fantastic in riding out the character arcs with me these last few chapters. Also, be warned that there is a scene in this chapter that is a little steamy—not exactly M rating, mind you, but probably not for children's eyes or for the faint of heart. With that being said, Enjoy!))**_

Elijah laid Elena gently on the bed in Stefan's bedroom, his heart relieved when she stirred slightly as her head hit the pillow.

He wasn't sure what exactly had come over him back in the cellar with Stefan and Damon—all he knew was that he wasn't going to let Stefan just take her from him like he was the only male in the room sworn to protect Elena.

Elijah stroked the side of Elena's face for a moment, studying her soft features, before he finally stepped back from the bed and left the room, closing the door behind him.

# # # # # # #

"Elijah growled at me back there!" Stefan scoffed with a raised eyebrow, "What was _that_ all about?"

Damon rolled his eyes as he put the top back on the whiskey decanter at the liquor cart and turned, walking over the couch where his brother now sat in the front parlor, handing him one of the drinks he had in his hand.

"I don't know, Stefan," he said as he took a seat next to his brother and brought his glass to his lips, "You were the one who was in the 'Elijah is good' faction and were all about him being here for Elena…you tell _me."_

Stefan huffed and leaned back into the couch, taking a sip of his own drink.

"What intrigued me the most," Damon continued as he downed the last of his drink and stared into the bottom of his glass, "Was what Klaus—well, _slash Tyler—_said about the whole situation afterward—did you catch that?"

"You mean that Elijah thinks one of us or both of us isn't any good for Elena…" Stefan said, sitting forward and placing his own empty glass on the coffee table in front of them, looking down at his hands as he rubbed them together.

"No, the _other_ part," Damon pointed out, also setting down his glass on the table, "About having something in his possession to add 'perspective' to our—well, specifically _your _situation."

Stefan nodded solemnly for a moment, still looking down to his hands, then immediately raised his head, his eyes quickly focusing on Damon.

"Wait a minute…_Where is_ Klaus?" Stefan asked in a worried tone and he watched as Damon's face fell as they both suddenly realized it had been at least twenty minutes since they left Stephens Woods and Klaus and Caroline hadn't arrived yet.

"He went with Caroline in her car," Damon offered, "I thought they were right behind us."

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be along shortly," Elijah voice suddenly came from doorway behind them, "If I know Klaus, after being cooped up in that cellar for a day or two, he's probably just blowing off some… _steam_."

"You don't mean with Vampire Barbie?" Damon asked curiously, looking over his shoulder to the original

Elijah just smirked.

"Oh, now that would just be _too_ weird," Stefan scoffed as he looked from Damon to Elijah, a small look of disgust crossing his face, "Can we please come up with other possibilities?"

"Well," Elijah replied, still smirking at the Salvatore's reactions, "Since we're waiting, I'm going to get something to eat."

"Blood bags are in cold storage in the basement," Damon offered

"Thanks," Elijah said, his face turning serious as he turned toward the younger Salvatore brother, "I want to apologize for earlier Stefan. I'm not sure what quite came over me in the cellar. I acted foolishly and selfishly. I'm sure you were also trying to keep Elena safe."

Stefan nodded in acknowledgement, but didn't say anything.

"So, I'll be in the kitchen," Elijah continued, turning out of the doorway, "Just come get me when they arrive."

"Will do," Damon replied

Then he was gone.

"Well, at least he _apologized_ for growling at you," Damon smirked playfully toward his brother when he was sure the original was out of earshot, "That Elijah is one classy guy."

But Stefan's mind was no longer dwelling on the original, but on Elena's best friend and their arch nemesis off together somewhere.

"Do you really think Klaus _and _Caroline?" Stefan started, turning back toward his brother with a raised eyebrow, "I mean…I know he used to kind of have a _thing_ for her in his own sick twisted way, but, seriously…Like, whoa!"

"Yeah, I know," Damon replied, hopping on board, "Of course, all of that was _before_ he killed her boyfriend and… took over his body…Surely she hasn't—she isn't—she won't…"

Damon suddenly trailed off, not quite believing the words that were coming out of his mouth.

Then, a few moments of silence fell between the two brothers as they stared awkwardly at each other.

"_Okaaaay_, on that note…another drink?" Damon offered, raising his eyebrows to his younger brother

"Oh, _Please…"_ Stefan replied, picking up his glass off the coffee table and handing it quickly to his brother, "And make it _strong_."

# # # # # #

There was a large gust of wind through Stephens woods, causing the birds in the tree tops to flee in response.

Moments later, with the aid of vampire speed, Caroline slammed Tyler/Klaus hard against a large oak tree, splintering the trunk as their mouths collided roughly.

_**Tell me now (Tell me now)…**_

_**And show me how (Show me how)…**_

_**To understand (Understand)…**_

_**What makes a good man?**_

Caroline parts their mouths with a gasp, leaning her forehead against Tyler/Klaus', leaving them both panting as she quickly starts unbuttoning his shirt.

_**Tell me now (Tell me now)…**_

_**Hey, walk the line (Walk the line)…**_

_**Hey, understand (Understand)…**_

_**What makes a good man?**_

"Caroline," he said, watching her movements, "Are you sure about this? We're kind of out in the open here, Love. Wouldn't you rather go back to the car?"

"Nope," Caroline replied quickly in a breathless voice, her eyes meeting his as she pulls his shirt roughly off of his shoulders, "If we do this in my car, there is a very distinct possibility that we will _completely_ destroy it."

"Good point," Tyler/Klaus nodded with a small smile as Caroline brought her lips back to his, sliding her tongue between his teeth and deepening the kiss, eliciting a groan from Tyler/Klaus' throat as her hands moved over his chest.

Soon, he swiftly had turned them so that Caroline was facing the tree trunk and he was behind her, his front pressing dangerously close to her back, grinding against her as he sucked on her earlobe.

_**Ain't nothing wrong with this chemistry… **_

_**Ain't nothing wrong with this blasphemy…**_

She moaned, her hands holding tightly to the sides of the tree trunk, breaking off what was left of the bark.

_**And time will tell the pedigree…**_

_**Experience is another one meant for me…**_

"Ahh...Klaus…" she whispered as she felt him reached down to the hem of her designer t-shirt and, releasing her earlobe for a few seconds, pull it over her head in one swift movement.

After tossing it aside, he brought his mouth to the side of her neck, planting gentle kisses and running his tongue over the sensitive skin there, working his way down to her shoulders as one of his hands held her in place while the other one moved dangerously lower, roaming freely down the inside of her left thigh and rubbing over her still jean-clad womanhood.

The friction was enough to cause Caroline to moan again, resting her head back involuntarily on his shoulder as he continued to rub her off through her jeans while tasting her skin.

_**Tell me now (Tell me now)…**_

_**And show me how (Show me how)…**_

_**To understand (Understand)…**_

_**What makes a good man?**_

Soon, overwhelmed by the sensations he was giving her, Caroline used all her strength to flipped herself in his grasp so that she was facing him, pinned between him and the tree, pulling him in for another round of rough kissing as she felt his hands roam the rest of her body—over her hips, her stomach, then to her still covered breasts—rubbing her nipples through the fabric—causing her to gasp into his mouth.

_**Tell me now (Tell me now)…**_

_**Hey, walk the line (Walk the line)…**_

_**Hey, understand (Understand)…**_

_**What makes a good man?**_

When their mouths parted, she stared deep into his eyes for a few seconds before he started kissing down her neck to her collar bone.

Her eyes rolled back into her head as she took hold of his shoulders and lifted herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his hips.

_**Now, I entitle swim for blue wonder…**_

_**I entitle swim for what it's worth…**_

As he kept kissing down toward her breasts, her hands went to work on his belt buckle and his jeans.

_**Cause laws get torn and laws get kicked and blurred…**_

_**Indelible is what I need to spread the word…**_

"Caroline, hold on…Wait a tick…" Tyler/Klaus suddenly said breathlessly as he pulled his mouth reluctantly from her skin

"Oh…_my God_…Again with the talking? You're going to be the death of me, I swear…" Caroline said panting, abruptly stopping work on his pants and leaning her back against the tree trunk as his eyes came up to meet hers.

"I'm sorry. I want this as much as you do…_maybe more_…" he said, his eyes roaming down over her body before he closed his eyes to steady himself, "But, can we wait?"

"_What?_ Really?" Caroline scoffed with a raised eyebrow, "After all that nice foreplay? First the true confessions in the car, then the kissing, then the stuff you did with your tongue…"

God, she was feeling hot just thinking about all the places his tongue still had to go…

Tyler/Klaus nodded somewhat reluctantly, still panting as shifted under her, balancing her against the tree, "I'm sorry, Love, I just…"

"What?" Caroline asked in a soft, concerned voice, bringing her hand up to rest on his shoulders, rubbing them back and forth soothingly, "What is it?"

"Well… I'm looking at you all hot and bothered and almost naked and ready to take off my pants…and suddenly, I _really_ wish I was in my own body, not Tyler's."

Caroline let out a long breath as she brought her forehead forward to rest on Klaus'.

"So, this a body issue?" she smirked

"Sort of. I just love you, Caroline, and because I love you, I want the first time we make love to be…Well, with you and with _me_…the _real_ me...Does that sound crazy?"

"No," she offered, closing her eyes in defeat, "We can wait. If that's what you want."

"Really?" Tyler/Klaus asked with a smile, stroking her hair, then moving his hand to brush her flushed cheek.

"Well…I suppose it will just make it _that much hotter_…" Caroline smiled, opening her eyes and leaning in toward him.

"I'll do everything in my power to make sure you don't regret it," Tyler/Klaus replied in a low, husky voice as he searched her eyes for a moment, "Thank You."

"Could you do me a favor until then?" Caroline whispered, raising an eyebrow as she leaned even closer

"Anything," Tyler/Klaus replied in the same whispered tone, still holding eye contact

"Keep kissing me?" she requested

"Think I can do that," he answered with a smile as he finally closed the small gap between them and captured her lips in a long, deep kiss.


	25. Chapter 25

When he got to the front door of the Gilbert house, Jeremy reached into his pocket to retrieve his keys, still wincing from the onset of the his latest migraine.

He had bailed out of school early on the premise of not feeling well.

With a history of drug addiction, he thought it would be difficult to make it off school grounds on the premise of feelings 'ill', but surprisingly, it didn't take much and the school nurse didn't argue because she pretty much took one look at him—with his ashen skin and his dilated pupils—and wrote him a consent to go home.

"Ahh…_Geez…_" Jeremy groaned as he finally got the lock to turn and shoved open the front door, quickly tossing his book bag onto the stairs as he closed the door behind him and hurried to shut the curtains on the column windows and the bay window in the living room, engulfing the room in semi-darkness.

When it was done, he breathed a sigh of relief and headed down the hallway toward the kitchen in search of some aspirin, shielding his hand over his eyes in anticipation of the intense afternoon sun that would be shining through the breakfast nook windows when he got there.

As expected, Jeremy recoiled a little when he crossed the kitchen threshold, as if the light stung him. Then, after a deep breath to steady himself, he moved over to all the windows and closed the blinds, finally collapsing in a heap at the kitchen table.

"This is definitely one of those days when I wish I lived in the Bat Cave, where one _big _button did _everything…_" He whimpered as he brought his forehead to rest onto the cool wood of the table, "Bruce Wayne had it made."

He lay there in a silence for at least a few minutes before he summoned the strength to get up and get the aspirin he had come for in the first place.

Slowly, he raised his head, closing his eyes to stop the impending dizziness, then pushed up from the chair, using the table to support himself as he shuffled blindly over to the island counter.

Jeremy paused there for a moments, opened his eyes, then headed the few feet to the medicine cabinet on the wall, opening it and retrieving his much needed bottle of aspirin.

He had just opened the bottle, when he was pretty sure he saw, out of the corner of his eyes, a shadow move behind the open door.

Jeremy narrowed his eyes, turning toward the door and slowly pushing it aside as he took in the dark surroundings on the side of the room behind it.

There was nothing.

Jeremy closed the door and reached into the bottle, plucking out two aspirin and tossing them down his throat, closing his eyes tight—years of pill popping had made it easy for him to take things like that without water.

He opened his eyes and exhaled and that's when he saw it.

His breath in the air…

And then that's when he felt it.

The chill…

It was suddenly freezing in the house.

Jeremy swallowed nervously as he felt a presence step out of the shadows behind him.

Even after seeing the spirits of Vicki and Anna and Rose and Alaric, he knew he should be used to his gift and more importantly try not to ignore the warning signs of an impending episode—like a migraine.

But this time, something felt different…darker, maybe.

He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

He knew he couldn't escape it, he just had to turn around and face the music…or the spirit, in this case.

Jeremy slowly put the aspirin bottle down and turned around, leaning on the counter behind him for support.

When he finally saw the spirit, he widened his eyes slightly, then narrowed them in curiosity

The migraines…

The cold spots…

After all that pre-show—more than the other spirits had really ever done, except sneak up on him a couple of times—this is not the type of spirit he was expecting.

It was a boy of maybe thirteen or fourteen.

He was dressed in period clothing—maybe medieval?—with long dark hair and pale skin.

And there was something in his face…a look…that seemed familiar, somehow.

He looked lost and out-of-place and innocent, definitely not malevolent.

Jeremy also noticed that his non-corporeal guest seemed perplexed that Jeremy seemed to be looking right at him.

After a few moments of awkward silence as the two sized each other up, the younger one stepped forward tentatively, his dark brown eyes never leaving Jeremy's.

"Du kan se meg?" the boy asked in a thick Nordic accent

Jeremy stepped forward, too, his eyes squinting as he listened

"Du kan!" the boy cried excitedly when he realized Jeremy could see and hear him, "Jeg leter etter familien min? Hvor er vi?"

"Whoa! Hold on! Slow down!" Jeremy replied, holding up his hands as he continued to walk toward the entity, trying to calm him down

"Engelsk?" the boy asked suddenly, seeming to realize that he was communicating in a language different from Jeremy.

"Yes." Jeremy acknowledged, nodding emphatically, finally able understand something the boy was saying, "English."

"You can _see me_…" the boy said immediately, slipping easily into English

"Yes." Jeremy answered, lowering his hands in stunned awe

"I've been screaming for days it seems, trying to get _someone_ to notice me," the boy continued

"Well…" Jeremy smirked, "Consider yourself noticed."

The boy narrowed his eyes in confusion, "Where am I?"

"You're in Mystic Falls, Virigina…many, _many_ years after your time, it seems," he said, nodding toward his counterpart's clothing.

The boy lowered his eyes to the ground as he nodded and then immediately fell silent.

"Do you need help with something?" Jeremy asked tentatively

Hell, it was a trite question, but it was worth a shot. In Jeremy's experience and based on all the ghost novels he had ever read, spirits usually manifest for a reason—a purpose—surely this kid was no different.

"I'm looking for my family—my brother." he replied

Jeremy took this in for a moment, then answered, "Alright, well, I'll help you find him…that is, if you want me to."

"You will?" the boy asked a small smile crossing his face

"Of course. That's probably why you're here. I see spiri-well, people like you and I do what I can to help them."

"Thank You," The boy replied

"I'm Jeremy," Jeremy smiled kindly, stepping closer, though resisting the instinct to hold offer his hand to spirit that he knew probably couldn't shake it, "Jeremy Gilbert."

"Henrik Mikaelson," the boy replied

Jeremy's smile suddenly faded.

# # # # # # #

Misha took a seat at the kitchen table in the cellar kitchen of the Gilbert house, his eyes still finding it hard to leave his Mother's face after so many centuries parted from her. He still couldn't believe she was there, in his dream, sitting across from him, reaching out and taking his hands in hers.

It felt like a dream in itself.

"Listen to me Misha," she said, "You are fighting an uphill battle, putting Klaus' essence in Ioan's body. Kaspar hasn't told you the whole truth of everything yet for fear of what he must ask you to do to complete the ritual and save Elijah."

"What do you mean? What do I have to do? "

"The question should be," Ayanna said, squeezing Misha's hands, "What are you _prepared_ to do?"

"What I have to." Misha replied in the steadiest voice he could, though he didn't believe himself for a second.

"I hope so. Esther is strong and she now has at least _one_ powerful spirit on her side," Ayanna shook her head, "She knew Bonnie Bennett wouldn't be enough. She came prepared for a fight, Misha—"

"With a weapon no one saw coming or even believed she would use." Misha finished

Ayanna raised an eyebrow

"Henrik," Misha offered, "She's put Henrik's essence into one of Elena's human friends. He has the necklace now—a link between him and his brothers. He could funnel Esther's magic through himself and the talisman and kill both Elijah _and_ as a result, Klaus, once he's corporeal again.

"Baby…" Ayanna said, sitting back and releasing Misha's hands, surprised that her son could be so naive, "That boy's essence is _not_ what is in Matt Donovan's body."

"Are you sure?" Misha asked, furrowing his eyebrows, " But, I _felt_ him—I _saw_ him in Matt's eyes—"

"You saw and felt what Esther _wanted you to,_ Baby, that's it. What you experienced was a glamor to hide what's really in that poor boy's body—something worse."

"Worse?" Misha whispered

"_Much_ worse…" Ayanna replied, her eyes darkening before she met Misha's gaze head on, "Do you know how Kaspar brought Henrik back after he died the first time?"

"I imagine he did the rituals to summon the boy's soul from Valhalla and put it back into his body—"

"No," Ayanna said sternly, shaking her head, "It's more complicated than just that. There is a reason necromancy is one of the _darkest_ arts, Misha, it requires sacrifice and calling upon things in the deepest and darkest places of the world. You see, when necromancers transfer essences or souls, there must _always_ be a balance. Κάποιος πρέπει να πεθάνει έτσι ώστε να μπορώ να ζω."

Misha translated the Greek his mother spoke in his head and instantly repeated it back.

"One must die, so that I may live…"

"Yes. In any ritual for raising the dead, there _must_ be a sacrifice," she said, "A life must be taken for a life given."

"So for Klaus to be resurrected, a life must be taken?"

Ayanna nodded.

"Yes, even though his soul is intact in a living vessel, the scales must balance. In order for him to return in the body of his deceased brother, a sacrifice must still be made."

Misha lowered his eyes, trying to process the idea of _killing _someone to bring someone back. This was definitely a hitch in the plan. And he wondered how Elijah would react to such a caveat.

"That is not all you face," Ayanna continued, "You see, if there is no living to soul to transfer from a living vessel, a sacrifice must still be made, _but_ the laws of nature would never allow for a soul to simply be called back on its own, like in Henrik's case. Once it's left our world for the spirit realm, if it is to be called back, it must tied to _another _soul to keep it here..."

"That's it. That's how Henrik was brought back?" Misha finished, "The sacrifice was made, but to bring his spirit back from Valhalla, Kaspar had to tie it to something strong and dark, a lost soul."

"Exactly," Ayanna confirmed, "And when Esther performed her vengeance spell, she knew what she was doing. She didn't want to raise the spirit of the Henrik we knew, she wanted the dark one-the twisted soul his essence is still tied to. You see, it can manifest itself as Henrik to the untrained eye, but Esther raised it specifically because she knew that it would be the only thing strong enough to defeat Elijah, and by extension, Klaus.

"So the_ real_ Henrik-his soul is still out there?" Misha said softly in knowing voice

"You're catching on," Ayanna smiled, realizing that her son was getting it.

"So what do I do?" Misha asked

"I'll show you," Ayanna said in a low voice, leaning forward, "I'll show you _everything._ I normally would never use my gift of prophecy in such a manner. I've always believed it was against the order of things for people know their future before it came to pass, but you _deserve_ to know what's to come—if you have any hope of defeating Esther and saving your friends—you'll _need_ to know—"

"What?" Misha asked as he watched Ayanna's hands come to rest gently on either side of his face.

"You'll see," she smiled sadly, "This is goodbye, baby—"

"Mama—" Misha began, but Ayanna interrupted him

"Promise me something," she whispered, a tear forming in her right eye

"Anything," Misha replied, feeling his own emotions start to well inside him

"I'm not just showing you the future, I'm also giving you more memories that were taken from you. When you see the sacrifice your brother made to bring Henrik back the first time, as hard as it is to do so, I need you to forgive him."

"What?"

"Just promise me." Ayanna insisted, the tears starting to fall down her cheeks

"Of course, Mama, I promise."

"I am _so_ proud of you, Misha. You turned out exactly as I hoped you would," she said softly as she stroked one of his cheeks, "Good Luck."

And before Misha could respond, she bore her hands into the sides of her son's head, delivering him her visions.

# # # # # #

"Am I the only one who finds it creepy that we are just _watching_ him like this?" Kol asked as he and Rebekah sat staring at Misha's lifeless body on the floor of his front parlor, "Because that's saying _a lot_ coming from me."

Rebekah smiled a little as she uncrossed her legs from where she had been sitting Indian style

"I just want to be here when he wakes up," she said, "That's all."

"I know." Kol replied with a good-natured smirk, "But Elijah said could be _hours_. I say I mix up some Bloody Marys, with _real_ blood, of course, and we go poking through his stuff. Are you with me?"

"Kol, I swear you are like a kindergartener," Rebekah replied, rolling her eyes, "having to constantly be entertained—"

Suddenly, Misha's body twitched

"Hold on," Kol said, sitting forward, "Did you see that?"

"Yeah…" Rebekah replied, "I did."

Just then, Misha's body started going into violent convulsions, causing Kol to move immediately to Rebekah's side and with the aid of vampire speed pull her to the other side of the room, where they watched as Misha's body stopped convulsing and started contorting—his arms folded forward, the bones and joints snapping as they repositioned themselves, his neck and shoulders rolling as they healed.

Then the body went still.

Rebekah took a tentative step forward to go to him, but Kol immediately grabbed her arm, holding her back.

Moments later, Misha's eyes snapped open and he sat up, taking in a deep breath as he coughed and gasped for air.

# # # # # #


	26. Chapter 26

Elena's eyes rolled open, squinting at the rays of afternoon sun that sprayed into the room through the closed blinds. She winced, the light seeming to be more intense than before—affecting her more than before.

She tried hard to focus, but her head was pounding and her body ached something terrible and when she tried to turn toward the bedside table, she felt a sharp pain in her side, her muscles burning as if on fire.

It was happening—the transition—it was _really_ happening now.

And something told her that it was only going to get worse until she fed.

Elena struggled to bring her eyes up to the clock on the nightstand—12:34pm.

She moaned slightly as she remembered passing out in the cellar. Stefan, Damon and Elijah must have brought her home and now she had slept over twelve hours.

Elena tried in vein to sit up, suppressing the overwhelming nausea and dizziness that now overcame her. She wanted to get up and go downstairs—curious to find out what was going on with Klaus and the plan to make him corporeal again. She also needed Damon and Stefan to help her with all the things she wanted to do before she turned. And judging by what was happening to her body now, they were wasting precious time.

Exhausted by the effort she was putting forth, she finally fell back onto the pillows.

It was as Elena turned her head, that she noticed Elijah sitting in an arm chair next to her bed, looking her over with kind eyes.

She smiled softly as their as she held his gaze for a few moments.

He had stayed with her...

Then suddenly, the bedroom door opened and Damon walked into the room

"Well, Good Morning, Sunshine" he said, seeing Elena awake "How are we feeling?"

Elena pulled her eyes reluctantly from Elijah's and closed them in pain, leaning back against the headboard.

"That fantastic, huh?" Damon sighed, eyeing her as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, "Well, I'll go downstairs and grab you a cold washcloth and some aspirin. How does that sound?"

"Thank you," Elena whispered

"Well, don't thank me yet," Damon smirked sadly, "You're in the worst part of transition—you're not exactly human anymore, so the aspirin and the washcloth may or may not do a damn thing to stop the pain—"

"It's worth a try," Elena replied

"Elena," Damon said, trying to keep his voice smooth, "You really should feed soon,"

"You know I can't—not yet," Elena said with a sigh, "There are things I want to do before that happens—"

"Elena, Damon is right. You shouldn't suffer longer than you have to—" Elijah chimed in

"Thank You," Damon nodded over his shoulder, acknowledging Elijah's presence for the first time.

"Where's Stefan?" Elena suddenly asked, feeling the need to change the subject. The thought of blood was causing her mind to go in directions she wasn't ready for it ot go in.

"Downstairs with Klaus. He just arrived."

"_Just now_?" Elena asked, stunned, immediately wondering to herself where Klaus could have been for all those hours, if he wasn't at the Salvatore Mansion

"Yeah, I came to wake up Elijah here," Damon said, smirking over his shoulder at the original, "but it appears he's already… _awake._"

"I awoke when I heard the front door close twenty minutes ago," Elijah told him

"Wow," Damon mused, raising an eyebrow, "You and I changed shifts like three hours ago. Light sleeper?"

"I'm an older brother with four younger siblings who have a knack for coming and going at all hours of the night in the past thousand years and bringing trouble with them…what do _you_ think?"

Just then Elena's phone rang on the bedside table.

She tried to reach over and grab it, but was too weak. Besides, Damon had already reached over and beat her to it.

"Elena's phone," he chimed in a cheerful tone after hitting the answer button on the touch screen.

Elena rolled her eyes at Elijah, who smiled as he crossed his arms and watched Damon in his element.

But, suddenly, Damon's expression changed as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line.

"Jeremy, slow down," he said in a soothing voice, "Start from the beginning—yes,"

Elijah sat forward as he saw Damon's eyes dart in his direction

"He's right here," the older Salvatore Brother said, then immediately handed Elijah the phone.

Elijah narrowed his eyes as he took it into his hand before bringing it up to his ear.

"Hello?" he said in a low tone

"Elijah, its Jeremy…"

"What can I do for you Jeremy?" Elijah asked in a concerned voice as he turned on the speaker phone so Damon could hear

"Well, actually, I think it's the other way around," Jeremy said, "You see, I have someone here with me now—I'm okay, I'm safe—it's well, it's a _spirit."_

Elijah straightened, "A spirit?"

"Yes, in fact, it's a spirit who has come to me, but is specifically asking for _you._ He says he can help you and Klaus."

Elijah's eyes immediately moved to Damon's as the older Salvatore whispered, "Trap?"

Elijah shrugged, then spoke into the phone, "He? Jeremy, did this spirit identify himself?"

"He says his name is Henrik—Henrik Mikaelson."

Elijah and Damon locked eyes for a moment, both in complete shock as to what they had just heard.

"Henrik? Henrik your _dead brother_?" Elena interjected, her voice rising with concern, but Damon put a hand on her arm to quiet her.

"Jeremy, listen to me," Damon said into the phone, being the first one to come to his senses, "What does the spirit look like?"

"_Look like_?" Jeremy asked in a quizzical tone, "Why does _that _matter?"

"Because we thought the spirit of 'Henrik Mikaelson' was what was possessing Matt—driving around his body," Damon countered

"_What?_ When did this happen?" Jeremy asked, shocked

"No time to explain, Jeremy, just tell me what the spirit looks like," Damon insisted

"Well, _this_ Henrik is not in anyone's body—he's a pre-teen boy and _definitely_ an appartition of one," Jeremy confirmed

"Jeremy," Elijah said, clearing his throat, suddenly finding the words to speak, "I need you to ask Henrik something, can you do that? Is he there with you?"

"Yes, he's here," Jeremy replied

Elijah took a deep breath, "I need you to ask him—ask him if he remembers how he died? Who killed him?"

"Hold on." Jeremy said and the line went quiet

"What are you doing?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow

"Remember when Kol and Rebekah said that the thing that was in Matt Donovan didn't seem like Henrik, that it was dark and altered somehow?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I have a sneaking suspicion—" Elijah continued, but was interrupted when Jeremy returned to the line.

"Elijah," he said

"We're still here," Elijah replied

"He says that he remembers suffering a werewolf bite and that you killed him-drove a white oak stake through chest."

Damon's eyes widened as he watched Elijah's close in pain.

Jeremy continued, "He says you put him out of his misery. He was in pain and he didn't want to suffer anymore. He says he loves you and misses you and that he forgives you even though he knows you can't forgive yourself. He wants you to know that he isn't angry with you, Elijah, but he knows _what is_—he knows what your Mother has raised—what's inside Matt. And as I said before, he wants to help."

There was a pause for a few moments as Elijah and Damon processed all of this.

"Elijah?" Jeremy asked, realizing there was silence

Damon looked to Elijah. The original opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out—he was too overwhelmed with emotion.

Finally, Damon spoke, his eyes never leaving the still stunned original.

"We'll be right over, Jeremy," he said in a softly, then hung up.

# # # # # # # #

"So, what is this all about?" Stefan asked as he took a seat in one of the arm chairs across from where Tyler/Klaus now sat on the sofa, "You said back in the Lockwood cellar that you had something you wanted to share with me—something that would offer 'perspective' to my situation."

Tyler/Klaus smirked, "Indeed, I do. You see, we have many things in common Stefan and not _just_ our good looks or the fact that we can be sensitive one moment and murderous fiends the next. You see, we once walked a similar path..."

Stefan narrowed his eyes as he watched Tyler/Klaus turn and reach into the leather satchel sitting on the couch at his side, retrieving his sketchpad.

He flipped through it for a few moments until finding the page he was looking for, then placed the sketchpad on the coffee table between them, sliding the picture across the glass top toward Stefan.

Stefan leaned forward in his chair, his curious eyes falling on the rough charcoal portrait of a young woman.

At first glance, it looked like Elena, but the time period in which it was drawn said Katherine, and yet_, _there was something in the young woman's face and eyes that all together that said it was _neither_ of them.

"Her name was Liliya," Tyler/Klaus said as he watched Stefan take in the portrait

"The original doppelganger," Stefan whispered

"Yes." Tyler/Klaus affirmed

"But, I thought you said her name was Tatia…" Stefan retorted, looking up and meeting Klaus' gaze

"Ah, well, you see only _part _of the story Elijah and I told you at the dinner party we had with you and your brother was true. Basically, I said what I had to say—made up what I had to say—in order to get you to turn Elena over to me. Elijah helped me, of course, added flare to the story in certain parts—all against his better judgment of course—"

"So what's the _real_ story?" Stefan interjected impatiently

Klaus leaned back and smiled, his eyes glancing down to the portrait on the table.

"Well, that's why I called this little powwow between us, Stefan, I think it's finally time you know the truth-the incident you had with Elijah in the cellar proved that. You see, Elijah and I—well, let's just say that our story of love and loss is _much_ closer to yours and Damon's than you might think."


	27. Chapter 27

"Misha," Rebekah whispered, her voice breaking with happiness as she hurried to their friend's side, taking his face gently in her hands as he looked around the room with tired and bewildered eyes, still taking deep breaths into his lungs.

"Rebekah," he replied, narrowing his eyes as he searched her face, seeming to realize that he was no longer in a dream, but back in his own house with his best friend's siblings, "How long have I been out?"

"About twelve hours," Kol chimed in as he knelt on Misha's other side, taking him by the shoulder and slowly helping him sit up, "I bet you feel well rested."

Misha moaned, still feeling the stiffness in his back, neck and shoulders as he leaned forward.

"We're just really glad you're alright," Rebekah said softly, wiping a tear from under her eye with a smile.

Misha gave a small smile of his own as he brought his arm around her and brought her into an embrace.

Moments later, Kol watched as the warlock's other arm reached out and grabbed him by the shirt collar, pulling him into their group hug.

When they finally pulled apart, Kol looked down to Misha's hand

"Seems your magic ring worked its, well…_magic,"_ Kol quipped

Rebekah rolled her eyes at Kol's comment just as Misha sucker-punched Kol across the jaw out of nowhere.

"Misha!" Rebekah cried in shock and a tad bit of amusement

"What the Hell was _that_ for?" Kol asked, immediately bringing his hand up to his face where Misha had made contact, flexing his jaw.

"Ah!" Misha hissed, rubbing and shaking his hand to will the pain away, then pointed directly at Kol with his other hand, "_that _was for giving Matt Henrik's necklace when I specifically told you to get rid of it!"

"I did it to save your life!" Kol countered, "It was obvious he was going to _kill_ you!"

"If it was really Henrik in that body, he _wouldn't have._ I was betting on that."

"Wait," Rebekah said, narrowing her eyes in confusion, "You don't think that it was Henrik in Matt's body?"

Misha kept flexing his hand as he met Rebekah's gaze, "Honey, let's just say that I had a little help from the other side in deducing that the 'thing' inside Matt Donovan-the one that made me see cartoon birdies all around my head-was most definitely _not _your brother. Whatever, _that _was—it was dark and angry and while my witchy feelers told me that it was Henrik—that it was part of his essence—I think we all got duped. Just because it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, don't make it a duck."

"So little brother is _not _on the rampage?" Kol interjected, bringing down his hand from his face, "Gotta say that's a relief. It's nice to be back to only one dysfunctional, emotionally stunted and brooding brother. And we really don't need anymore family drama, what with Nik _and_ Bekah—"

Just then Kol felt a hard smack on the back of his head and turned his hand just quick enough to see Misha pull his hand away.

"Gah!" Kol cried, his scalp smarting, "Now, what was _that _for?"

"_That,"_ Misha replied, "Was for being a insensitive smart ass."

# # # # # # # #

"I'm coming with you," Elena said, moving her covers aside weakly to free herself from bed

"No," Damon said in a soothing voice, standing from the side of the bed and stepping forward, tossing the covers back over her gently, "You're _not._ Elijah and I, we'll take care of this and we'll bring Jeremy back with us, alright?"

"But, I want to help—" Elena protested

"I know, Elena, but you can barely sit up in bed." Damon countered, eying her as he stroked her hair

"Damon, please—" Elena said, grabbing for his hand, but he pulled away quickly

"I'm too tired to deal with this right now," Damon sighed, turning back to the original, "Can you handle this, Elijah? I'm going downstairs to let the others know what's going on."

"Damon," Elena called after him weakly as she watched him disappear quickly through the bedroom door.

"Elena," Elijah said, standing up from his chair, "Damon's right. The best thing you can do is rest. Until you feed, you'll be terribly weak and it will only get worse."

Elena closed her eyes in defeat.

"Hey, listen to me," he said as he sat took Damon's spot on the side of the bed next to her, "You say that there are things you want to do—people you want to see before you finally turn—I would use this time for that."

Elena sighed as she opened her eyes, "I hate just sitting here while people I care about are in danger—"

"I know, but _I hate_ to see you suffer," Elijah interjected, then added, "And so does Damon…And we'll get plenty of that if you come with us."

Elena face immediately softened, her eyes meeting his as she contemplated his words

"I'm sorry," she said finally, "I never thought about it that way."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Elijah consoled, "You have a big heart, Elena, and compassion that knows no bounds. It's only natural that it's hard for someone like you to see that others care for you just as much as you care for them."

"So, basically, you're saying I'm so much of a martyr that I don't see the big picture."

"Hmmm… the truth hurts sometimes, doesn't it?" Elijah replied with a smile, then he leaned forward and kissed her forehead

The action shocked Elena, but at the same time, comforted her.

He lingered there for a few moments, his breath sending tingles over her skin that she felt _everywhere_.

"We'll call you later and let you know what's going on, alright?" he whispered as he pulled back.

Elena nodded, her eyes never leaving his as he stood

"Please, just come back in one piece…" she said softly, then added, "both of you."

# # # # # #

"Caroline," Damon said, catching sight of Caroline leaning against the sink in the kitchen draining a blood bag as he descended the back staircase, "I need you to do something for me."

"What's up?" Caroline asked, pulling the blood bag from her lips

Damon suddenly stopped and looked around, "Where's Stefan and Klaus?"

Caroline set down the half empty blood bag behind her on the counter and wiped her mouth, nodding toward the front of the house, "The dynamic duo locked themselves in the parlor. Stefan said they needed to talk."

Damon smirked as he thought about what Klaus had said in the Lockwood Cellar hours before.

"If I didn't know what it was about, I would be just a _little _worried about that..." he quipped

"What do you _know_?" Caroline suddenly narrowed her eyes

"Nothing for you to burst a brain cell over, Barbie," Damon retorted jokingly and Caroline rolled her eyes

"You always have to underestimate and belittle me," she shot back, "Is that like an 1800's male _thing _or something?"

A silence fell between them as Damon contemplated her comment and suddenly felt remorseful.

He opened his mouth to say something, the regret obvious on his face when Caroline held up her hand to stop him.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry for what I said, too. I'm just tired, hungry, and a tad on the bitchy defensive tonight," Caroline said softly looking over her shoulder to the blood bag and picking it up again, "Stefan grilled me for like _ever _about where Klaus and I were last night…"

"So where _were_ you and what _were_ you doing?" Damon cooed suggestively with a smirk, returning to his old self

"What do you need me to do?" Caroline countered, changing the subject as she brought the blood bag back to her mouth, her eyes telling Damon that she wasn't going to say anything about her night with Klaus.

Damon relented, "Elijah and I are heading over to the Gilbert house. It seems we've had a break in solving the tiny matter of keeping Esther from killing Klaus and Elijah…and by extension, _all of us._"

"Well, that's a bonus, isn't it?" Caroline chimed in through her sips

"Yep. So I need you to babysit Elena tonight," Damon said, he stepped closer, "Of course, like she always does, she wants to come with us and help, but she's far too weak for anymore escapades." Then his face fell as his eyes met Caroline's seriously, "And she's in _a lot_ of pain."

"Well, she's waited too long to feed," Caroline said, sadness in her voice, "It will only go downhill from here."

"Just do me a favor?" Damon continued, "Stay with her, keep her company, and maybe see what you can do to help with the pain?"

"Will do." Caroline nodded, finishing the blood bag and folding it in her hands

"Oh, and Elena's got this 'bucket list', some things she to check off and what not before she turns. Stefan and I were going to help her, but with this whole 'imminent death of the originals' thing, it kind of got put on the back burner. I heard Elijah talking with her about it when I left the room, so I'm guessing he thinks it might take her mind off things…maybe you could work on that? Help expedite the process a little?"

"Sure thing," Caroline replied with a smile, tossing the blood bag across the room into the trash.

Damon smiled over his shoulder as he watched her make the basket perfectly.

"Thanks, Barbie."

# # # # # # #

Elena closed her eyes, leaning against the pillows Elijah had propped behind her head before leaving the room, and trying to do what she could to rest her aching body.

She took a deep breath and brought her hand to rest on her chest, her fingers falling over the heart necklace that still rested there.

Suddenly, her eyes opened as she felt a presence in the room with her and when her eyes focused, she saw a familiar figure sitting at the end of her bed.

"Liliya," she smiled, a little unsure what the spirit of the original doppelganger was doing back so soon after their last meeting.

"Hello, Elena," Liliya replied sweetly, resting her hands in her lap

"What—what are you doing here? I don't think I called you, did I?—"

"Well, not exactly," Liliya admitted with a small smile, "there was another connection that brought me here."

"Connection?" Elena asked, her voice weak as she tried to sit up further

"Yes, a connection, Elena—a strong one made through that necklace your wearing…" Liliya continued, her eyes seeming confide a secret between her and Elena, "and coincidentally, through your thoughts just now."

"My thoughts?" Elena mused, "I don't—I don't think I was thinking about anything in particular, really—"

"Elena," Liliya interjected, her eyes kind and understanding, "you don't have to pretend or lie to me about your feelings. I'm not your friends or the Salvatore Brothers. I would never judge you."

Elena took a deep breath and closed her eyes defeated

"How did you know?" she finally whispered, her eyes opening and focusing on the original doppelganger, somewhat ashamed

"Because I once had the same thoughts," Liliya confided, leaning forward as if whispering a secret of her own

Elena swallowed nervously

"I don't know why I was thinking was I was thinking—" she choked out, "I just—"

"You weren't_ thinking,_ Elena, you were _feeling,_" Liliya said reassuringly, "And how you _feel_ is nothing to be ashamed of."

"I just don't understand...Why can't I stop feeling things for him?" Elena asked

"Because you love him?" Liliya offered

Elena took another deep breath, her eyes bewildered

"But I love Stefan…" she whispered

"And Damon," Liliya countered, raising her eyebrow

"And it seems, Elijah…" Elena admitted, closing her eyes.


	28. Chapter 28

((Thanks for being awesome readers and reviewers! I love writing humor for our characters and I think this chapter is a good balance between the seriousness of their situation and the lightheartedness that one finds in relieving tense situations. I hope you enjoy!))

The two Petrova doppelgangers stared at each other—Liliya waiting patiently for Elena to speak first.

"I—I…" Elena stated, still dumbfounded by her admission

" 'I love him'," Liliya spoke for her, a sympathetic smile crossing her face as she slid closer and patted Elena's knee under the blanket, "Admitting it is the _first step_, Honey."

Elena took a deep breath to steady herself, then shook her head, still in shock by all of it

"You make it sound so easy—" she whispered weakly

"Oh, Elena," Liliya lamented, her smile fading, "I know better than anyone that love is _never_ easy—admitting it may be, but the choices it comes with makes you want to run for the hills."

# # # # # #

"Liliya's parents were refugees from what is now Bulgaria," Tyler/Klaus said, leaning against the couch cushions, his eyes focused on Stefan, "After a warlord decimated their village and their only family, they and a number of others, traveled hundreds of miles where sought asylum with the Vikings. Years later, a plague ravaged my parent's village claiming countless lives including their newborn son and Liliya's father. With half the village dead and harsh weather destroying the crops, my family and countless others decided to follow the word and vision of my mother's friend, the witch Ayanna, who spoke of a mystical land across the water where they could live in peace, prosperity and good health. So, while still with child, Liliya's mother boarded a ship with my people and came over to the New World. There, four months after my mother gave birth to Elijah and a year before my own arrival, Liliya was born."

"So you knew her from the beginning?" Stefan asked

"It was a small village, Stefan, of course I knew _of_ her, but—"

"Then, what changed?"

Tyler/Klaus took a deep breath, his eyes softening as he let the memories wash over him—memories he had tried to keep away for more than a thousand years.

"It was spring of her eleventh birthday. She had just lost her mother to a sudden illness—she was alone and hurting and in need of someone. And me…" Tyler/Klaus paused, looking down to his hands, the pain spreading over his face in small waves, "I was wrestling with a dark part of myself. I was slowly coming of age and beginning to realize that not only did I not look or act like any of my other siblings, but everyday was finding myself more and more of a disappointment to my father..."

Stefan absorbed this for a moment, then Tyler/Klaus finished his thought.

"You could say we 'found' each other that day in the woods."

Immediately Stefan saw images flashing before his own eyes…

Returning to Mystic Falls wracked with shame and guilt after years of staying away…

Seeing Elena for the first time—the night her parents car went over the bridge and into the quarry-Elena's father motioning to him to save Elena who was unconscious in the backseat…

Watching her for days, weeks, and months after the accident, lonely, grieving and lost…

Running into her after the first day of school in the cemetery and the instant connection he felt between them…

"She had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen," Tyler/Klaus whispered, lifting his eyes to the portrait of Liliya on the table, "They were the color of caramelized chocolate and seemed to bore right through me into my soul…"

Again, Stefan saw Elena that day in the cemetery…

"I'm Elena," she had said sweetly,

"I'm Stefan," he replied, unable to keep his eyes off her

"I know," she said quickly, "We have…history together."

"And English and French," he added

"Right," Elena smiled

Then, without thinking, he reached forward and pulled a small leaf out of the bottom of her hair…and God, the look she gave him as her dark chocolate eyes watched him pull his hand away. His heart just melted…

"Is this sounding familiar, Stefan?"

Tyler/Klaus' voice immediately brought Stefan out of his thoughts and the younger Salvatore found the original smirking at him.

"So you met her first?" Stefan asked, clearing his throat and trying to focus, "Fell in love with her first?"

"Well, see _that_ is where our story collides again, my friend," Tyler/Klaus said, cocking his head, "Turns out, I wasn't the first to meet her nor the first to fall in love with her."

"Elijah…" Stefan whispered in sudden realization

"Or, in your case… I'm sensing..._Damon_." Tyler/Klaus countered

# # # # # #

Damon turned doorknob, finding it unlocked, and pushed open the door to the Gilbert house.

"Jeremy!" he called as he stepped forward to cross the threshold, but ran smack into an invisible barrier.

"Gah!" he cried, holding his face as it momentarily throbbed it pain from the impact. He then lowered his hand and turned back to Elijah, "What is the deal with Fort Knox, here?"

Elijah narrowed his eyes as he studied the door then took a step forward to Damon's side, reaching his hand out to try to cross the barrier, but failing when it too hit the invisible wall.

"It's Elena," Elijah said stepping back with a sigh

"What about her?" Damon asked curiously

Elijah turned to Damon and raised an eyebrow

"Oh…Oh, I get it," the older Salvatore suddenly realized, "Elena is in transition, so not dead, but not exactly _alive_, either. And since she was the one who invited us into the house in the first place, the offer is now rescinded—hence, 'deflector shields up'."

Elijah nodded

Just then, Jeremy's voice sounded from upstairs.

"Damon? Is that you?" he called

"No!" Damon chimed in a mock cheerful voice as Jeremy appeared, bounding down the front staircase, "It's your neighborhood Avon Sales Rep. Would you like to try out new age-fighting anti-wrinkle cream?"

Elijah rolled his eyes as Jeremy walked across the landing.

"You got here fast," Elena's brother mused as he looked from Damon, then to Elijah

Suddenly, a silence fell between the three of them as Jeremy continued to look at them, confused.

"What's up? Why are you just standing out there?" he asked

"Well, it seems we have a slight problem…" Elijah started

"We need an invite." Damon finished

Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows.

"I don't understand. I thought Elena had already—" then suddenly, he stopped. Damon and Elijah watched as it quickly dawned on Jeremy Gilbert why they couldn't enter the house and they watched his face fall slightly as if he had just now realized he had _truly_ lost his sister…well, his human sister, anyway.

But, Elijah had to admit, the boy was much more resilient than a lot of people gave him credit for and he rallied back fast.

"Well, since it's my house, too…Come in, Elijah," he said, nodding toward the original as he brought himself back to focus

And Elijah quickly crossed the threshold with ease

"Hey, what about me?" Damon whined

"Sorry," Jeremy quipped, "We're more of a Mary Kay household."

"Ha. Ha," Damon countered as he watched Jeremy smile

"Come in, Damon." Jeremy said, taking a step back as Damon also crossed into the house and shutting the door behind him

"Where is my brother?" Elijah said, turning toward Jeremy

"He's upstairs in my bedroom." Jeremy replied

"Well," Damon said, politely holding out his hand in the direction of the stairs, "Shall we?"

And with that, Jeremy led the way to the second floor with Elijah and Damon close behind.

When they opened the door to Jeremy's room, Elijah was stunned.

"Oh, my God…" he mused from the doorway as Jeremy entered the room and walked toward the figure of his younger brother.

It really _was_ Henrik—exactly as Elijah remembered him in 1044.

"Oh, your God, what?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow as he came to Elijah's side and surveyed the room

"You mean you can _see him_?" Jeremy asked, suddenly turning back to Elijah

"Oh, yeah…" Elijah whispered, still stunned

"I don't see_ anyone_." Damon said, still taking in the room

Hearing the other voices in the room, Henrik's spirit immediately turned from where he had been standing in front of Jeremy's dresser, examining the television.

"Elijah…" he smiled when he saw his older brother

Elijah tentatively took a step forward

"Henrik…" he whispered in disbelief, his face falling as he looked his youngest brother over from the head to toe.

The two stared at each other tensely for a moment or two before Henrik spoke again.

"Don't worry," he said, holding his brother's gaze, seeming to read Elijah's thoughts, "I wish I could embrace you, too."

Elijah let out a deep breath and smiled.

It really was his brother, not some vengeful spirit. Only his true brother would offer forgiveness and love.

It was Henrik.

"Are—are you alright?" Elijah choked out

"Dude, he's a ghost," Damon whispered, "What do _you_ think?"

"I'm as well as I can be since Mother woke me—me and that _thing," _Henrik said, " I wandered for a while, looking for you when I realized what had happened. Then, Jeremy found me."

Henrik looked over to Jeremy and smiled politely.

"He's been kind," Henrik continued, turning back toward his older brother, "And until you could come, he's been enlightening me as to some of what has happened in the world since I've been gone these past centuries…Have you ever watched television?"

Elijah smirked and nodded

"Well, I have to say," Henrik said, a look of awe crossing his face, "I find it both fascinating and a little disturbing how they fit those tiny people into that box, don't you?"

Elijah turned to Jeremy with a raised eyebrow

"_What?_" Jeremy shrugged, trying to hold back his laughter, "He asked me about it and I told him it was little people…it was easier than trying to explain the technology."

"Hold on! Wait a second!" Damon cried, looking from Jeremy to Elijah to the empty space in the room, "Did I miss something? Did little brother make a funny?"

# # # # # # #

"Ahhh…perfect!" Misha exclaimed as stood on his toes and reached for the highest shelf of one of the kitchen cabinets, retrieving the item he was after and handing it over his shoulder to Kol.

"_Oh…_" Kol said, taking the large cookie jar in the shape of a smiling teddy bear wearing a tuxedo into his hands with a perplexed look, "You have _got _to be joking."

"Nope," Misha said, lowering himself and closing the cabinet door, "It's the only thing I've got."

"We can't put Ioan's soul in this!" Kol cried, looking down at the teddy bear's face

"You mean because it's just _so cute _you could_ die_?" Misha countered with smirk

"Please tell me you have a Ball jar…" Kol whined, holding the jar out to Misha to take it back

"Too small," Misha replied quickly, pushing the jar back toward Kol

"A _really big_ Tupperware container?" Kol asked as he held out the jar again

"Too malleable," Misha said sternly, pushing the cookie jar back again, "Look, I know it's not exactly_ ideal_, but it's big enough and strong enough and it _has_ to be a vessel that can later be broken by Kaspar in the ritual so Ioan's soul can be freed. Please, Kol? Just humor me?"

"Okay, Guys," Rebekah's voice suddenly sounded behind them as she entered through the kitchen door, "I got the candles and the matches—" she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, pointing one of the candles in her hand toward the teddy bear cookie jar in Kol's grasp, "_Please_, don't tell me that's…"

"Our brother's new home?" Kol chimed, smiling as he held the grinning teddy bear up next to his face, "Yep."

"It's just so…so…" Rebekah mused, narrowing her eyes

"So cute you could just die_?_" Misha offered

"Something like that," Rebekah grimaced over the warlock's shoulder at Kol still holding the cookie jar, "It's just too…_happy_. It looks like a deranged Gummy Bear."

Misha smirked as he stepped forward and took the candles and matches from her.

"Just don't look it in the eye…it'll be over soon," he soothed as he turned her by her shoulders and led her back through the kitchen door, jerking his head and signaling for Kol to follow them with the cookie jar.

Which he did...holding the smiling bear out at arms length.


	29. Chapter 29

Stefan furrowed his brow as he reached over the original doppleganger's portrait on the coffee table and handed Tyler/Klaus a scotch and soda, then sat down again in the chair across from the original.

"So you and Elijah fought over Liliya—"

"No." Tyler/Klaus answered immediately, lowering his glass from where he had just taken a sip, "You see, there are some aspects of my relationship with my brother that are _different_ from what you have with yours. Elijah and I didn't fight over Liliya, she went to him willingly and…"

Tyler/Klaus swallowed, twirling the half-empty glass on the arm of the sofa in thought before he finished his sentence.

"I let her go." He finally said softly

"You _loved her_ and you just let her _go?"_ Stefan asked immediately, leaning forward in awe

"You don't understand," Tyler/Klaus sighed, closing his eyes as he clutched his glass tight in his grip

"I think I do," Stefan replied, his voice rising slightly in disgust, "You just let your brother win—"

"No," Tyler/Klaus said, opening his eyes and trying to keep his voice even as he explained, "I didn't _let_ him win, Stefan, he was already destined to win—"

"What? What do you mean destined to win?"

Tyler/Klaus took another drink from his glass then continued, "You know Stefan, my people are very mystical with powerful beliefs in Gods and fate—long before the rest of man-kind. And one of the strongest of those beliefs were that our destinies—particularly our soul-mates on this earth—were written in the stars."

"You've got to be joking," Stefan smirked, raising an eyebrow

"If you lived back then," Tyler/Klaus countered, "You would have seen how true it was. Several couples in our village were written in the stars, as were my parents…and so were Elijah and Liliya. I could see that early on and if there is one thing I've learned Stefan, it's to _never_ mess with fate."

"So, Elijah once had a soul-mate?" Stefan whispered, shaking his head

"Why is that so hard for you to believe?" Tyler/Klaus asked, sitting forward and studying the younger vampire intently

"Because, I don't believe in destiny or fate or things 'written in the stars'," Stefan replied, "I never put much stock in things like that."

Tyler/Klaus leaned back and smirked before downing the rest of his drink in one gulp and sitting the empty glass on the coffee table.

There was a long silence as Tyler/Klaus continued to digest Stefan's words, sitting back on the couch with a small smile.

"What's so funny?" Stefan asked curtly

Tyler/Klaus immediately met Stefan's gaze as he provided the answer.

"What's so funny," he remarked, "Is that you may not put 'much stock' in what I just said, but I bet Damon _does_."

"Damon's sensitive enough to still believe in the Easter Bunny..." Stefan scoffed

"Don't sell your brother short, Stefan," Tyler/Klaus countered, "Let me guess-in his human life your brother was intelligent, quiet, kind, moral, strong, family oriented, always eager to please your father and most of all, he always let his actions do the talking, not his words."

Stefan's mouth instantly fell open at Tyler/Klaus' words

"I'm not a mind reader, Stefan, I lived with my own older brother once. Elijah was all of those things, but most of all he was loyal and considerate."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, as I mentioned before, Elijah saw and met Liliya long before I did, but me being the more social butterfly of the two us, ended up spending more time with her, becoming her best friend and confidant. For years we were inseparable, but, Elijah was never out of the game-he was always there for her when she needed to talk, always watching, casting her looks and making little trinkets or bundling flowers that he would leave as gifts at her window. But, he kept his distance."

"Why?" Stefan asked, suddenly realizing the similarities between the two triangle, especially the part where Damon hung in the wings much like Elijah had done.

"Honestly, I think he did it out of respect for me," Tyler/Klaus answered, "He knew how much I needed someone like her at that time in my live and how much she needed someone like me and he didn't want to be the one to come between us. He just waited until the time was right. And then, when we were fifteen, it happened. One day, in the woods, she told me that she had feelings for Elijah-that while she loved and cared for me, _he _was the one she was drawn to-the one who made her feel alive-the one she wanted to spend forever with."

"But she told you she _loved you,_" Stefan replied, immediately thinking of Elena and their relationship, "She stood by you for all those years-you shared a bond-"

"Things change, Stefan. She discovered who her true destiny was and I couldn't stand in the way of that. I was hurt, yes, but I couldn't make her stay with me, that would have been cruel and wrong. And, heed my warning, my friend, that would have only driven her farther away and I would have never seen her again."

"But-"

"Written in the stars or not," Tyler/Klaus urged, "there is something going on between your girlfriend and your brother that's packing some serious electricity and you know it. Quite frankly, I think you're being a little to naive about it and if I were you, I would do what I did with my own girlfriend and my own brother... back away or you're going to get electrocuted."

# # # # # # #

"Sorry to break up the moment," Damon interjected, "But, Henrik, we really need your help—"

"It's a dark soul," Henrik answered immediately, then locked eyes with Elijah

"What?" Damon asked, seeing the concerned look on Elijah's face, "What did he say?"

"He said it was a dark soul," Jeremy translated as he too turned to Elijah, "Do you know what that means?"

"Yes," Elijah breathed, "I do. That would explain the strength, speed and maliciousness of the entity that is possessing Matt Donovan."

"What exactly _is_ this 'dark soul' thingy?" Damon asked, "And more importantly, how can we kill it, stop your Mother and get Matt back?"

"Dark souls are used in the ritual of bringing back the dead," Elijah explained, " You see, necromancers can shift people's souls or essences from a living body to a dead body with a few checks and balances, but if you want to bring someone's soul back from the afterlife and essentially raise them from the dead, you _can't_—at least, not without calling on a stronger being to basically piggy-back ride the soul back."

"And that is this 'dark soul'?" Damon confirmed

"I told you that when Henrik died the first time, my mother found a way to bring him back. Well, she did it by calling on a necromancer, an old friend of the family, and that is how the dark soul was attached to Henrik—it must have been the one to bring his soul back from the afterlife and ground it here. And, then, when after I staked him, because we buried him, not burned him, his soul and the dark soul would have remained _in_ his body. Esther would have known this the whole time. She didn't want to raise Henrik's soul when she performed the vengeance spell, she knew Henrik wouldn't have been angry or vengeful enough to kill us, she wanted the darker spirit." Elijah sighed, pausing for a few moments, then continued, "Dark souls are tricky—as I said before, they are strong, fast, malicious. Many consider them demons, but really they are twisted souls—vengeful and angry. The legend is that they were once humans and not just any humans—_righteous_ humans—good people, sometimes saintly good people—who died horrific deaths, for example, on Holy ground or by the hand of a loved one—"

"So, how do you kill one?" Jeremy asked

"As far as I know," Elijah replied, "it's the same as killing a demon—fire, drowning or ripping out the heart out of their host—"

Damon took in a deep breath, "Okay, but all of those could _kill, Matt_."

"I don't know what else to tell you, Damon," Elijah continued, "That's what I know. Maybe Misha and Kaspar can find a loophole—"

"_Hold on_," Henrik interjected quickly with a hint of dread in his voice, "Misha and Kaspar are _here_? They are the ones who are going to fight the dark soul with you?"

"Yes," Elijah replied, suddenly noticing his younger brother's agitation, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Elijah…" Henrik said softly, stepping forward, "They can't fight the dark soul—they won't be an asset, they'll be a liability. When they find out who it is they might—"

"Wait," Elijah narrowed his eyes, "You mean it was someone from our village? Someone they_ knew_?"

Henrik nodded, "Someone Kaspar brought back the night he raised me."

"_Who?"_ Elijah demanded

"Octavian." Henrik answered and watched as all the blood drained out of Elijah's face, his heart suddenly aching for his best friend.

"Who's Octavian?" Jeremy asked confused

"He was my best friend's older brother—a Holy man in our village…" Elijah whispered, still dumfounded

"What happened to him?" Damon inquired

"He—He—" Elijah started, but stopped, overwhelmed by the memory of the man's death as it flooded his consciousness.

"He died." Henrik finished

"Oh, that's _terribly_ helpful," Damon rolled his eyes

"One full moon," Henrik continued, his voice shaking a little as if relaying a story he wished to forget, "He didn't heed the warning bell and night fell quickly upon him while he was out gathering herbs in the forest. He tried to make it back to the village—to the safety of the caves—but he was attacked by a pack of werewolves and torn to shreds. When we found his body, it looked like—well—"

"It looked like they had taken their time with him," Elijah interjected, finding his voice again, "He suffered a terrible fate."

"And let me guess," Damon sighed, meeting Elijah's gaze, "He died on Holy ground?"

Elijah nodded, "They found what was left of him in the Felgrahm star. The ritual ground where our village conducted religious ceremonies."

Damon shook his head, "Well, crap…"

# # # # # # # #

Matt Donovan weaved through the heavy consolidation of trees in the north end of Stefan's Woods with reverence, closing his eyes and letting the sunlight hit his face as he imagined standing in the village he once lived in a thousand years ago.

As he rounded the last tree, savoring the feel of the bark under his fingers, he came to stand near the edge of the quarry.

After a few moments of silent contemplation, a small smile crossing his face as he sensed a presence step forward from the tree line and make its way to his side.

"Hello, Kaspar. It's been a long time." Matt scoffed, not taking his eyes off the rhythmic beauty of the falls.

"Octavian," Kaspar acknowledged in a sad voice, keeping his eyes forward as well

"How did you find me?" Matt asked, rolling his shoulders anxiously

"I'm your brother, Octavian," Kaspar whispered, trying to keep his voice even, "I was there when you died and was there when you came back. You as bound to me as you are to Henrik—I will always know where you are—"

"You mean _she_ told you where I was." Matt shot back, his voice rising slowly in anger as he turned to face the warlock beside him, "A thousand years in the grave and Mother is still helping you clean up your messes."

"Octavian, I'm sorry," Kaspar said softly, his face crumbling, "I should have never done what I did to you. It was _wrong_—"

"Yes, it was." Matt said, stepping toward Kaspar as the warlock took a step back, "You let your power overtake you—you let it rule you and you brought me back! I was already _angry_ enough—_vengeful _enough over how I died, but I had made it to the afterlife where I thought I could find some peace. And then you ripped me out of there with your little ritual and you put me in that boy's body where I was trapped for _centuries_!"

"Please, brother, I want to make it right," Kaspar continued, walking backwards as his brother followed him, eying him like a lion eyes its prey, "_Please_, just let me make this right—"

"I don't _want_ you to make things right!" Matt cried, his face flushed with anger, "I want you _to suffer_! I want you to suffer like I suffered!"

"I already _have_..." Kaspar lamented, looking down to his feet for a moment to check quickly where he was standing, then bringing his eyes back to focus on his brother as he continued to step toward him, "and I will for centuries more to come."

When Matt realized Kaspar was no longer moving, he too came to a stop, about five feet from his youngest brother and cocked his head.

Suddenly, Kaspar watched as Matt's face fell in immediate realization and he looked down to his feet.

"Illunimente!" Kaspar cried and immediately the two brothers found themselves encircled by flames that outlined as five point star.

"Felgrahm…" Matt whispered, his eyes widening in shock, his lip suddenly trembling, "You trapped me where I died...that can only mean..."

"Please brother," Kasper said sternly, meeting his brother's gaze head on, "Let me free you. "

"But, Esther has given me a mission," Matt countered

"By playing on your need to be the moral man you once were—the righteous Holy man who fought against vampires and werewolves—who kept us safe and well?"

Matt closed his eyes, relenting

"Octavian, let it go," Kaspar urged, "It's true you died a terrible death, long before your time, long before you were _meant_ to, but be the _better man_ you always taught your siblings to be. Let your anger and your vengeance go and allow me to help you find peace, brother, I beg you!"

Matt's face contorted with pain, "If I go, the boy dies."

"I know," Kaspar nodded, "But, I promise you, his death will not be in vain, it can have a greater purpose-"

"You mean his death will be the life you need to tip the scale so that you can bring Niklaus back," Matt retorted in disgust and Kaspar closed his eyes in defeat.

"Yes. But, I am not just doing it to bring Niklaus back_, Octavian,_ I'm doing it because Misha asked me to-because defeating Esther could save _countless_ lives, not just one. Please, let me speak with the boy."

Matt closed his eyes, "Very well."

Kaspar stepped forward, taking a deep breath and laid a hand on Matt Donovan's shoulder, staring deep into the young man's eyes past his brother's spirit to his vessel.

With his thoughts, Kaspar communicated with the sick, broken and frightened boy still fighting on the inside of his own body.

Kaspar quickly explained who he was and what was going on and surprisingly, the young man stopped fighting and listened, calmly taking in Kaspar's words thoughtfully.

Then, when it was over, he asked Matt Donovan-the real Matt Donovan a question-then waited for the answer.

After a few moments, he got it.

"Yes. After all of this, I'm going to die anyway," he said in a soft voice, "If it helps Elena and my friends...I'll do it."

Kaspar nodded as he released Matt Donovan's shoulder, allowing his brother's entity to come forward again.

"Ånder i etterlivet, hør meg..." Kaspar chanted in a low voice, his eyes darkening, meeting his brother's head on, "Helbrede denne sjelen og gjenopprette balansen til å gi ham evig fred."

Then, as he stepped closer to his brother, he saw a small smile and a look of peace grace his Matt Donovan's face.

Kaspar closed his eyes and shed a tear as he punched a hole through Matt Donovan's chest, tearing out his heart in one swift movement.

# # # # # #

"Stefan, when it comes to Elena and Damon, you need to understand-" Klaus started, but stopped immediately, his eyes widening, cocking his head in confusion and seeming to stare blankly out into space.

"Klaus?" Stefan asked anxiously, sitting forward in his chair, studying the original's face, "What's wrong?"

# # # # # #

"Ahh!" Henrik screamed stumbling forward, his spirit energy flickering violently

"Henrik—" Elijah moved quickly toward his younger brother, then immediately stopped, clutching his chest over his heart with a sharp groan of pain as he doubled over.

"Elijah!" Damon cried, rushing to Elijah's side as the original fell to his knees, his face flushing in silent agony

Henrik quickly turned to Jeremy with worried eyes.

"This isn't right..." he whispered before, with another violent flicker of energy, he disappeared as Jeremy and Damon watched in stunned awe.

"Where did he go?" Damon asked, his eyes shifting to Jeremy as he held Elijah steady

"I don't know. I've never seen them just flicker out like that," Jeremy replied, looking anxiously over at Elijah

"We have to—we have to get back to the mansion," Elijah whimpered between groans, still holding his chest in agony, "It's Niklaus…something is wrong."

# # # # # #

Caroline had just rounded the banister to head up the front staircase of the Salvatore Mansion to check on Elena when she stopped, her hearing picking up a distant thud from somewhere in the house.

"_Caroline!"_ Stefan suddenly shouted from the direction of the parlor, immediately sending Caroline down the hall and through the parlor door with vampire speed.

"Oh, my God…" she whispered, her face falling as she hurried into the room to find Tyler/Klaus lifeless on the floor near the sofa with Stefan kneeling beside him.

# # # # #

"She came to you in your dream as well?" Misha whispered into his phone in the upstairs hallway, trying to keep his voice down so that Kol and Rebekah wouldn't overhear him.

"Yes. On the plane, she came to me and told me exactly where to find Octavian and his vessel-"

"I can't believe it was him," Misha sighed sadly, "That he was the dark soul."

"I know...I'm sorry, Misha..." Kaspar lamented

Misha took a deep breath, remembering his promise to his mother to forgive his brother.

"It's in the past now," Misha said softly, then after a moment's pause, continued, "You've taken care of it?"

"I freed Octavian and spoke with the real Matt Donovan...he agreed to sacrifice himself. It is done."

Misha closed his eyes and hung up the phone.


	30. Chapter 30

Esther's confident strides quickly turned urgent as she walked through the woods that used to be her family's ancestral home.

She had just felt the presence of a warlock—_that_ she was sure of—and it was coming from the direction of the spot she had told Matt Donovan they would be meeting.

As she moved faster, her legs began aching, not an uncommon side effect for a person who had been shut in a coffin since her last attempt at killing her children.

Finally, though, she had been able to channel enough of Bonnie's essence during the vengeance spell to put herself back into her own body and awaken.

Now, physically strong, she prepared herself mentally for a fight, but as she drew nearer, she immediately sensed that whoever's presence she had felt was long since gone. She also, suddenly had the suspicion that something dreadful had happened that she hadn't seen coming.

She wasn't wrong...

When she had finally made it to the clearing, she stopped dead in her tracks just outside the burnt remnants of her people's Felgrahm star—the place they had once held religious ceremonies and festivals.

The outline of the original star been hiding under dense forest floor, unseen by human eyes for centuries. There was no way any mere mortal could just find it.

Unless…

Unless, whoever found it was no mere mortal and not only knew where it was all this time, but how to use it to do it's will.

Her eyes widened as she took in the lifeless body of Matt Donovan in the center of the star.

Use it, they had.

After taking in a few shallow breaths, Esther immediately stepped forward into the star and knelt down beside the body, turning it over.

And when her eyes wandered to the big, gaping hole in Matt's chest and she realized they had taken his heart, she immediately knew that whoever did this knew _exactly_ how to banish a dark soul.

She opened one of Matt's eyes and quickly searched the iris, but when there was no sign of the dark soul, let it close as she reached under his shirt collar to see if Henrik's necklace was still around his neck.

She found nothing.

Desperate, she began turning out the pockets of his jeans, then his jacket…no sign of the talisman.

Whoever had killed Matt, and freed the dark spirit, had taken it.

Esther sighed as she sat back on the ground and flared her nostrils.

"Well, this _complicates_ things," she breathed

# # # # # #

"Liliya, are you okay?" Elena asked, watching the spirit at the end of her bed visibly flinch, bringing her hand to her chest in pain.

"It's—I think it's Elijah…" Liliya whispered, her eyes immediately filling with worry as they met Elena's

"Elijah?" Elena willed herself to sit up, her voice becoming urgent as she felt a surge of feelings suddenly overwhelm her, "What is it? Is he _alright_?"

"No…" Liliya said, holding her chest as she quickly stood up from the bed, her breathing becoming erratic, "I don't think he is…I don't think Nik is either—"

"Liliya…" Elena's eyes widened as she watched the spirit's energy flicker violently

"If there is something wrong, then there's someone I need to see before it's too late. I have to go, Elena, I'm sorry!"

"_Liliya!_" Elena cried weakly as she watched the spirit of the original doppelganger disappear in to thin air.

# # # # # # #

Kol sat at the kitchen table, his arms folded across his chest, his head cocked to one side in a mixture of anticipation and thought as he studied the teddy bear cookie jar that resided on the Lazy Susan in the center of the table.

"I think it looks just a little_ too happy_ to have our brother's soul inside it, don't you Bekah?"

"_I think_ it looks just a little _too happy_ all the time!" Rebekah groaned, giving the Lazy Susan a turn before leaning forward in the chair beside him and laying her head down on the table in exasperation.

Kol rolled his eyes, smirking at her as Misha suddenly appeared, entering the room and carrying a large stack of books in his arms.

"Oh, _goody_, Misha's here…" Rebekah quipped as she raised her head reluctantly, watching Misha plop the stack down on the table between her and Kol with a loud thud, causing Rebekah to raise an eyebrow, "_with _advanced reading assignments?"

"Well," Misha said as he pulled out a chair on the other side of the table and took a seat, "Good news in the fight against evil. My brother has arrived."

"_What?_" Kol asked sitting forward and uncrossing his arms, "_Who?_ Luka?"

"No." Misha answered calmly, "Luka has been dead for quite some time. He was the only warlock in our family who decided _not_ to become immortal."

"You don't mean…" Rebekah said in a low voice, shoving herself away from the table instantly

Misha nodded silently, closing his eyes somewhat ashamed.

"But, Misha, he was banished from the village for using _dark magic_, he was—he was—" Rebekah shared a look with Kol, then turned back to the warlock, then finished, "He was a _necromancer_."

"I know," Misha said solemnly, "But, two days ago when Elijah called and asked me if I knew of another way that we could bring Niklaus back—put him in Ioan's body without having to use Bonnie Bennett to perform the rituals, since your 'Mommy Dearest' has been channeling her energy—he was the _best _option I could come up with."

Misha waited for the younger Mikaelson siblings to say something, but they just sat in their chairs, still someone flabbergasted

"Look, I know this isn't exactly the best option, alright?" Misha continued, "I _know that_—I know what Kaspar _is_, better than _anyone_—but it's not exactly like we have time to seek out some nice little witchdoctor or a voodoo priest in the Delta to help us with the task at hand, the time bomb on your brother's vessel is _ticking_ and this is most likely going to be our best shot, if it's not our _only_ shot!"

Misha paused and took a breath as he pulled one of the books off of the pile and opened it in front of himself.

"Besides, Kaspar is the only warlock I know of as old and as strong as myself. Maybe, with that power behind us, we can not only help Klaus, but figure out a way to reverse what Esther did to him and Elijah to protect all of us once and for all."

"You mean turn her own magic on her?" Rebekah asked, moving her chair back in to the table.

"That is exactly what I am proposing, hence the 'Reading is Fundamental' afternoon," Misha answered, pointing at the books, "Now, Kaspar will be here soon, so we need to find out if there is anything in here we can use."

"Well, I hope you're all speed readers," Came a small, weak voice from the center of the kitchen

"Holy moly!" Kol cried, straightening in his chair

"Liliya…" Rebekah whispered in stunned awe as Liliya's spirit appeared suddenly behind Misha

Liliya's face contorted in pain as she continued to clutch her chest, but this time, when she removed it, there was blood on the palm of her hand.

"Uh…ghosts _don't bleed_…am I right?" Kol pointed out, a confused look crossing his face as his eyes cast quickly from Misha to Rebekah

"Liliya?" Misha quickly stood from his chair, walking toward the apparition of the original doppelganger, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Liliya tried to keep her breathing steady as a tear rolled down her face, her eyes mesmerized by the blood on her hand.

"I think so…" she whispered, her eyes darkening as she looked up to the warlock

# # # # # # #

"Stefan!" Elena cried weakly as she stumbled down the stairs of the Salvatore Mansion like a wounded animal, "Stefan!"

"Oh, my God, Elena!" Caroline cried, appearing at the bottom of the staircase with vampire speed, just in time to catch her friend as she lost her grip on the banister and fell into Caroline's arms.

"Where is he?" Elena said softly, feeling her eyes rolling into the back of her head involuntarily

"Elena what the hell are you doing out of bed?" Caroline asked, narrowing her eyebrows in concern as she brought Elena's arm around her shoulder and pulled her friend up into her grasp tighter to hold her weight up.

"I—I need to find him—" Elena said, trying to open her eyes and bring her focus back, her voice tinted with urgency as she tried to find her footing and stumbled forward into the hallway, taking Caroline with her like an awkwardly conjoined twin

"Elena, wait! Stefan's in the study with Klaus. We think something is wrong. But, the best thing you can do is get back to bed! You're weak, Elena—"

"Something's wrong with Klaus?" Elena suddenly inquired, craning her neck to see through the half open door to the parlor

"He just collapsed," Caroline reported, still trying to manage Elena in her arms, "Elena _please_, you know where Stefan is now, you need to rest—"

"No, _Elijah_," Elena whimpered, "If this happened to Klaus, he's in danger! We need to find him!"

Suddenly, the front door opened, held by Jeremy Gilbert as Damon helped a pale and grimacing Elijah up the porch steps and across the threshold.

"Honey, we're home," Damon sighed in a depressive tone, Elijah's arm still draped over his neck as he took in the sight of Caroline and Elena in the front hallway, then looked around the corner to see Stefan in the parlor with a still unconscious Tyler/Klaus, then his eyes flickered quickly to Elijah, "Well...this _can't be good_."


	31. Chapter 31

"Elijah," Elena whispered, freeing herself from Caroline's grasp and stumbling forward and falling into the grasp Damon's right arm, "Are you alright? I was worried—"

"I'm more worried about you," Elijah whispered with a grimace, then looked to Caroline, "What is she doing out of bed?"

Caroline shrugged

"Yeah…I'm wondering the same thing myself," Damon said looking over to Elena, who was involuntarily resting her head on his shoulder, then nodded to Caroline to come forward and take her "You're weak, Elena. You haven't fed. Let's get you upstairs—"

"_No_…" Elena groaned insistently, looking from Damon to Elijah, "I want to help."

"Always with the helping," Damon sighed as Caroline took Elena back into her arms

"Elena you can't help _anyone_ until you feed," Caroline said softly as she brought Elena's arm around her shoulders, "Come on…"

Elena's eyes stayed focused on Elijah as Caroline turned her toward the staircase, the words her friend has just spoken fresh in her mind.

As they started to make their way up the front staircase, Elijah looked around for a moment then turned his eyes up to Damon.

"Can you take me to my brother, now?" Elijah asked in a breathless tone

"Sure." Damon replied as they started making their way toward the parlor door, Jeremy coming around and taking Elijah's other shoulder around his neck to help Damon move him.

"And do you have your cell phone?" the original asked Damon, his face flushing with pain again as another intense pain swept over him

"Your last request on this earth is a _phone call_?" Damon chuckled, as they continued to move

"I sincerely hope this _isn't_ my last request," Elijah sighed as they stopped in front of the doorway

"Who you gonna call?" Jeremy asked, with a raised eyebrow, then immediately bit his lip as he suddenly realized the comic triteness of the sentence in that moment.

Soon, he saw both Damon and Elijah turn toward him, a mixture of confusion and suppressed laughter on their faces.

"_Wow,_" Jeremy continued, shaking his head in disbelief as pushed open the door and turned sideways to lead the way into the room, "that phrase is _never_ going to be usable again, is it?"

"Nope," Damon chuckled

"Doubt it." Elijah chimed in between grimaces of pain.

# # # # # #

"Liliya, I need you to concentrate, alright…" Misha said, stepping closer to the apparition of the original doppelganger, "Is the connection you are feeling with Elijah and Klaus coming from Elijah's ring?"

Liliya closed her eyes for a few moments then opened them quickly.

"Yes," she replied, still searching her thoughts, "And my necklace…and…"

"And... what?" Misha encouraged

"And Klaus'" Liliya finished seemingly surprised by he own words

"You mean the necklace Elijah made for him?" Misha asked confirming

"Yes." Liliya nodded, "I can sense that he is no longer in physical form—he is bound to it—"

"Oh, my God!" Misha cried, looking quickly over his shoulder, "Kol! I need you high-tail it up to my bedroom to my dresser. In the top drawer on the left side you'll find Klaus' runic necklace…bring it to me! _Go!_"

Kol's eyes widened for moment before he nodded, disappearing from the room with vampire speed.

When he returned seconds later, he handed it to Misha, who in turn held it out toward Liliya.

"Oh, yes…" Liliya sighed, her eyes fixing on the necklace in Misha's palm, "He's there. I can feel him…but he won't be for much longer. His vessel will be no more soon. That is what we are feeling, _its_ destruction and Niklaus' distress."

"Misha, what is she talking about? What_ distress_?" Rebekah quickly interjected in a frustrated tone, standing from her chair

Misha turned back to her, trying to explain things, "It seems Tyler Lockwood's vessel has started to deteriorate faster than we had anticipated, but because of the connection Liliya and Elijah share with him—the bond created by your mother to destroy them—Elijah and Liliya can feel his vessel's destruction."

"Hence the bleeding…" Kol said, nodding toward Liliya

"So, Elijah's _suffering_ somewhere?" Rebekah asked, her breath catching

"Yes," Misha answered quickly

"Well, we have to make it stop!" Rebekah shot back, "How do we make it _stop_?!"

"We can't," Misha said firmly to the younger siblings, "Not unless you want to lose Klaus. If Liliya can sense Klaus in his necklace, that means that Klaus' soul hasn't left his vessel and the only reason it _hasn't_ is because of the magic connecting it with Liliya and Elijah's talisman's—Liliya's necklace and Elijah's ring. They've created a makeshift force field that is keeping his soul here. As long as the connection stays intact, there is still time—albeit short—to perform the rituals to get him into Ioan's body before something happens, the connection breaks and his soul is finally released into the abyss."

Misha's attention moved quickly back to the original doppelganger, "Liliya, do you think you could go to him—to Niklaus' spirit on the other side—do what you can to keep him in his vessel?"

Liliya took a deep breath, "I could try…"

Then she closed her eyes, her spirit flickering out.

Misha stared at the void where Liliya had once stood and sighed for a moment before he felt a buzzing in Kol's pocket

Kol quickly retrieved it, but furrowed his brow when he didn't recognize the number on the screen.

"Hello?" he asked, bringing the receiver to his ear

"Kol?" a familiar voice responded

"Damon?" Kol answered, a mixture of surprise and disgust crossing his face

"Yeah, little bro, it's me. But, before you make a snarky comment and hang up, just know that Elijah's with me and he's _not _in good shape. Put the warlock on the phone, 'kay?"

Kol's face sobered as he pulled the phone from his ear and held it across the table to Misha.

"It's Damon Salvatore for you."

Misha took the phone from Kol and put it down in the middle of the table, pressing the speaker phone button.

"Damon, it's been a long time," he said, leaning on the back of one of the kitchen table chairs as he spoke into the phone.

"Yep and it wouldn't have taken so long if you had your phone with you."

"Lost it in a fight," Misha replied, remembering that he gave it to Matt Donovan

"Look, Misha, I'm sorry, but we don't have time for memory lane. I'm here with an unconscious original in my almost-girlfriend's best friend's body and Elijah, who at the moment could win an Emmy for being in _epic _pain. Just tell me what I need to do and who I need to hurt to stop it."

"I'm afraid it's not an easy fix like that, Damon," Misha replied, "Can Elijah talk?"

"Hold on," Damon said

After a few moments of silence, Elijah came on the phone, his breathing heaving and labored.

"Misha…" he whimpered

"How you doing, champ?" Misha asked, sensing how much pain his best friend had to be in at the moment

"Oh, just _peachy_," Elijah retorted facetiously

"Look, Liliya came to me. She felt what happened to you and Klaus. Is his vessel still intact?"  
"Yes," Elijah answered, looking down to his brother's body from where he sat on the couch, "Tyler's body is fine for the moment, but he's out like a light—"

"It's a defense mechanism. Klaus' vessel is starting to deteriorate—its nervous system basically went into overload and that's why he collapsed."  
"Is Klaus gone?" Elijah asked, his tone worried

"No. Liliya says she can still sense him. His soul still remains in his vessel for the time being. It's essentially trapped by the connection that Esther created between him, yourself and Liliya and your respective talismans—bet she didn't see _that one_ coming."

Elijah smirked, "No, I'm betting she did. If Klaus' soul leaves his body, she can't kill the rest of us—only he'll die. And we've already agreed that we're going do everything we can to save him. So that's why I'm in such colossal pain here?"

"I'm afraid so. Remember when Klaus was desiccated?"

"Yes."

"Well, because of the connection between your ring and his necklace, you felt _that_—you started to desiccate, too."

"Oh…I remember…" Elijah chuckled nervously

"That's what's happening here. Klaus' vessel is deteriorating and his soul is in distress—you are feeling what your brother is feeling right now."

"I don't like that," Elijah replied, kicking into 'big brother' mode, "He shouldn't be suffering _at all_."

"I know…" Misha answered soothingly

"So you're saying that I can't make the pain stop without severing the connection and losing him." Elijah confirmed

"Yes." Misha replied, closing his eyes in pain, "There may still be time to save him, but I can't guarantee _how much_ or that we'll get there to perform the ritual in time."

"I understand," Elijah said, shaking his head as he looked down to the ring on the chain around his neck, then over to Tyler/Klaus' body

"Elijah," Misha said, his eyes moving to Rebekah and Kol, immediately thinking about what would become of them if something happened to Elijah, "if you need to take the ring off to save yourself—"

"No, _never!"_ Elijah answered quickly, his voice rising in anger, "He's my _brother_, Misha. I don't make decisions like that until _I have_ to." He paused a moment to collect himself as another intense wave of pain shot through him, then continued, "And if Klaus is suffering, I want to suffer too…I don't want him to be alone."

"Well, I hate to be Mr. Pessimistic, but you may have to make _some sort_ of decision_. _Things aren't looking promising here_. _We're still waiting on Kaspar and we still don't have a way of getting rid of Esther yet—"

"We'll find a way," Elijah interjected, breathing heavily into the receiver, then groaning in pain, "We've been in tighter spots than this before."

"I hope you're right," Misha answered in a low voice, "Otherwise, _you_ will be dead, _Klaus _will be dead and you won't be the ones who will be _alone_.

There was a long pause before Misha heard Elijah take a deep breath and hang up.

# # # # #


	32. Chapter 32

As soon as Caroline left the room to return downstairs, shutting the door behind her, Elena summoned all of her strength and brought herself to a sitting position in bed, sighing as she threw the blanket over her shoulders and stumbled toward the door, pressing her ear to the wood and listening for her friend's departing steps before she turned the doorknob.

# # # # #

Misha sighed, closing his eyes as he pulled the phone down from his ear.

What could he do?

He and Elijah had been friends for over a thousand years and he knew that is friend could be epically stubborn when it came to things like family and loyalty. He also knew Elijah would do _anything _for Niklaus—it had been that way since they were children—even risk his own life by not taking that ring off.

Misha shook his head.

It was a crapshoot. He could go with his gut, which was usually always correct and stand by his thought that saving Klaus was the right thing to do—that if his soul _was_ released into the ether or Esther made it to the Salvatore's before they did, he would truly be dead, therefore, killing all those in his bloodline.

Or, he could text Damon Salvatore right now and have him rip the necklace with Liliya's ring on it right off of Elijah's neck, breaking the connection and saving his best friend endless more hours of pain and suffering because there was the more warm and fuzzy possibility that if Klaus soul was released into the ether, that the effects would be minimal—that his soul _would not_ be destroyed, just gone forever and that Damon, Stefan, Caroline, Katherine and eventually, Elena would all be fine.

But, either way, Misha knew, Elijah would be crushed.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

# # # # #

"Who could that be?" Stefan asked curiously, when the doorbell sounded at the Salvatore Boarding house, looking to Damon with curiosity as he stood from where was still crouched at Tyler's body.

Damon shrugged as he took his phone from Elijah and shoved it back into his jean pocket.

"I'll get it," Jeremy offered, handing Elijah as glass of whiskey over the back of the couch, then crossing the room toward the door.

"How are we feeling?" Damon asked, his attention turning toward Elijah as he took a seat on the couch next to the original.

Elijah took a sip from his glass, then set it on his knee, grimacing in reply

"I—I heard some of your conversation with Misha…from what I gather Klaus' vessel has started to deteriorate?" Damon asked, his eyes lowering to Tyler's body still lying on the floor.

"Yes. He and I, we have a connection of sorts." Elijah said, looking down to the necklace resting around his neck, "My Mother created it long ago with the intention of killing us, but it seems that the connection has also served another purpose."  
"What's that?" Stefan asked, intrigued

"It's created a bond between Niklaus and I and as long as we are both bound to our talismans, it seems that his vessel can deteriorate, but his soul can't go anywhere for the time being. The connection has bought us some time, but not much and the risk is that both he and I could die if the connection is maintained for too long. But then again, since it's a little fuzzy as to whether or not his soul being released into the ether will kill all of you…I think I can stand a little pain."

"So you're feeling what he's feeling—what's happening to him? That's what this is?" Stefan whispered

Elijah nodded

"What about Henrik?" Damon inquired, "He was in some serious pain back there, too."

"He was connected to me through my Mother's vengeance spell. I think when Niklaus collapsed, he felt what I felt," Elijah said softly, finishing his glass of whiskey

"He just disappeared…" Damon sighed, "Where do you think he went?"

"I don't know," Elijah answered then whimpered and hissed, bringing his free hand back to his chest.

"Elijah…" Damon furrowed his brow, taking the empty glass from him before he dropped it in his agony

"I'm fine. Honestly, I've been through worse," the original confessed with a sigh, laying back as Damon put a pillow behind it with his free hand.

"Really?" Damon inquired, furrowing his brow, "When?"

"About seven hundred years ago, I was captured by French royalty, getting Kol out of a scrape—it's a _long_ story, but I was kept in the Bastille dungeons for months where they tortured me."

"I would say that that would quality as 'worse'" Stefan chimed in, taking a seat on a nearby ottoman

"Oh, yes. I was bludgeoned, burned with a hot poker iron and drawn and quartered." Elijah finished

"Holy crap!" Damon cried sitting back in shock, "And you _survived_?"

"Lucky track record, I suppose," Elijah replied with a weak smile, closing his eyes in pain

"Is that right?" a familiar voice sounded from the parlor doorway causing all three of them to flinch and Damon and Stefan to spring up immediately from where they sat as they saw Esther Mikaelson standing there, Bonnie Bennett at her side.

Esther smirked at her eldest son still seated on the sofa as she held a struggling Jeremy Gilbert in one hand and Caroline Forbes in the other, her hands at their throats, "Well, I'd like to test that record."

# # # # #

"Kaspar…" Misha whispered, staring at his younger brother across the threshold in stunned awe.

"It's been a long time," Kaspar nodded from where he stood on the front porch, himself lost as to what to do next, looking over his brother, noting the contrast between his white jeans and t-shirt and his full drag makeup, "You look…_different_."

Misha's face fell into a small smile as he moved quickly through the doorway, embracing his brother, who immediately brought his arms up his brother to return the hug.

After a few moments, Kaspar gently broke away, looking over Misha's shoulder to Kol and Rebekah standing in the hallway on the other side of the door, speechless.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way," he said as Misha stepped back, wiping under his eyes, "Let's get to work, shall we? We've got an original to resurrect and a witch to bring down, am I right?"

Kol and Rebekah nodded in silence, still seemingly stunned by the presence of the warlock everyone in their village once feared.

"We've—well, Misha's had us looking for spells," Kol choked out

"What?" Kaspar asked furrowing his brow as he turned to his brother, lowering his voice, _"Why?_ We already know how to take Esther down—Mother told us—_"_

"She did?" Rebekah scoffed, folding her arms across her chest as she eyed Misha, who just took a steady breath, "You saw Ayanna? Why didn't you tell us?"

"She came to me in the spirit world when I was—"

"Dead," Kol finished

"Yes, dead." Misha acknowledged, then closed his eyes as he confessed, "And while I was dead, she told me about the dark soul—what was in Matt's body—and she…_might _have told me how to stop Esther."

"How?" Kol asked curiously

"You're talismans," Kaspar added, "The ones Elijah made for you. We need them."

Kol and Rebekah shared a look for a moment, then Rebekah stepped forward, her eyes flashing a knowing glance at Misha.

"That's why you had us looking through those spell books…you didn't think we still had them, did you?" she whispered

Misha's eyes widened with shock, "You mean you _do_?"

"Of course we do," Kol interjected, "We may be murderous imbeciles, but we're not _completely _heartless. Elijah made those for us. We would never have just _tossed them away_!"

Rebekah nodded in agreement then pursed her lip before she moved past Misha and Kaspar toward the stairway.

"Mine's in my bag upstairs. I'll go get it," she said, then disappeared

"And I'll need a kitchen knife …" Kol quipped with a raised eyebrow as he turned on his heel and headed back down the hall toward the kitchen door.

"Do I even want to know _why?"_ Kapsar whispered to Misha

"I don't think so." Misha answered

Moments later, with the aide of vampire speed, Rebekah re-appeared in front of them, holding out a small wooden square with a nordic design on it.

"Is this it?" Kaspar asked unimpressed, taking the box into his hand

"Not exactly," Rebekah smirked, "It's a secret box. I'll need your help to reveal what's inside"

Misha furrowed his brow as he watched Kaspar find the lid, hidden within the grain on top of the box, and slide it open, pulling out a small piece of quartz crystal wrapped in cloth.

"Gloria hid my actual talisman with a cloaking spell back in the 1840s after Mikael found us in Singapore."

Kaspar closed his eyes, holding the revealed crystal in his palm as he concentrated on its energy, then spoke the words in a low, commanding voice.

"That which was lost, may now be found…that which was hidden may now be restored to the eyes of those who wish to see it."

Rebekah smiled and Misha let out a small gasp, causing Kaspar to slowly open his eyes to view the new object resting in the palm of his hand.

Rebekah bit her lip, her eyes brimming with tears as she tentatively reached out and took her talisman in her fingers, reuniting with it after over two centuries of it being hidden.

It was a rope necklace with a wooden charm carved in the form of a four armed cross with the Mikaelson family crest in the center.

Misha and Kaspar watched as she clasped the necklace around her neck then looked around.  
"Where's Kol?" she asked

"He said something about needing a knife then just disappeared," Kaspar replied, handing the secret box back to Rebekah and shrugging

"Oh…" Rebekah's nose wrinkled, "I told him not to hide his on his body, but does he ever listen to me? _No_."

"_Okay_…" Misha said, holding up his hands, "Let's change the subject, please?"

"So, may I ask," Rebekah said, her voice skeptical, "how our family talismans are supposed to take down a witch as powerful as my Mother? Is the 'love' or some such nonsense in them supposed to incapacitate her or something?"

Rebekah chuckled, then stopped when she saw Kaspar and Misha staring at her seriously

"You've got to be joking…" Rebekah said, taken aback that the notion might actually be true

Misha shook his head, "Nope."

"Elijah _made_ each of those talismans," Kaspar said "They are not only infused with his essence, but also, dare I say it, 'love'—love for each and every one of you. And since it's _him_ Esther wants to kill, _him _that she bound her vengence spell to, it's only right that we fight her off by uniting the most powerful parts of his essence—parts that he gave to you, Niklaus, Ioan, Liliya, Kol, Finn—"

"But, we don't have Finn's talisman or Ioan's—"

"I know for sure that Elijah had Finn's," Misha acknowledged, "It is probably upstairs in his room. He's carried it since Niklaus daggered Finn centuries before to keep it safe. And Ioan's is still on his body. I've seen it there."

"And I got mine," Kol chimed in as he stepped through the kitchen door into the hallway, the long cut on his right forearm healing as he held up a wooden sword charm on a metal link necklace.

"_Eww_…" Rebekah chided, taking a step back

"What?" Kol rebutted, "It doesn't have cooties or anything, Bekah. I kept it in a metal case fused to my bone—"

"_Too much_ information, Kol!" Misha interjected with a grimace

Kol shrugged, smiling as he rested his necklace safely around his neck, giving it a kiss as he tucked it into the collar of his shirt

"What about Henrik's talisman?" Rebekah asked, turning back to Misha to change the subject, "Matt took it."

Misha looked to Kaspar, who looked down to his feet, shifting uncomfortable as he pulled Henrik's wolf charm necklace out of his jacket pocket.

Rebekah took in a sharp breath.

"Oh, my god…" she whispered, eying the necklace, then looking up to meet the warlocks' eyes, her body trembling "What happened? How did you get it?"

"Rebekah, we need to talk…" Misha said, stepping forward, sensing Rebekah's feelings and obvious distress, "About Matt Donovan."

# # # # #

She wasn't exactly sure how she had made it down the servant's stairs to the kitchen, but she had.

And when she made it to the last step, Elena fell against the side wall, catching her breath.

Her eyes squinted in pain at the sudden intensity of the light in the room.

She stumbled forward and hit the light switch clumsily, turning off the light, then exhaled as she relished the darkness and felt her way toward the cellar door, shedding her blanket in her haste.

She felt weak and lightheaded, like she would collapse at any moment, but she couldn't stop now.

Luckily, the cellar door was unlatched and wasn't heavy.

She pulled it open and immediately felt for the railing, tentatively putting her foot out for the first stair.

She closed her eyes, her mind suddenly filling with images…

_Elijah reaching his hand out to shake hers the night Aunt Jenna invited him into the house, his eyes intensely locking with hers…_

"_It's a pleasure."_

Elena leaned on the railing for balance, stopping halfway down the wooden staircase to catch her breath.

"_You cared about her didn't you?" Elena said softly as Elijah handed her jacket after their conversation in the Lockwood Mansion. _

_Elijah searched her eyes deeply for a moment before replying_

"_It's a common mistake I'm told…one that I won't make again."_

After a moment, Elena steeled herself and kept moving down the steps.

_Standing in the doorway of Elijah's apartment the night of the ritual…_

_"You live by a code of honor," Elena said, "you give more than you take to everyone around you, you don't kill humans unless you have to, you keep your word, and you care—"_

_"I care only about what you want and what happens to you," Elijah replied immediately, his eyes softening as he studied her_

_"Well, I appreciate that. I need someone to care about what I want." Elena whispered, finding herself stepping closer to him_

Elena moaned as she finally collapsed on the bottom step, exhaustion overwhelming her

"_Elena," Elijah said with a kind smile as her front door opened that morning after the Mikaelson ball_

"_Elijah," Elena replied with a smile of her own, her breath catching and her heart skipping a beat at the sight of him_, _remembering the jolt of electricity that had shot through her that night when he had stopped to talk to her in the hallway and his hand grazed her arm._

Elena closed her eyes and the images flashed faster…

_Elijah twirling her out when they danced in her living room, then bringing her back in as she stumbled and laughed, falling against his chest…_

_Elijah showing up outside her bedroom door with a peanut butter sandwich and her bear…_

_Elijah holding her while she cried herself to sleep…_

_Elijah kissing her…_

Elena quickly opened her eyes, gathering her strength as she pushed herself up from the step, her feet shuffling forward across the concrete floor.

This wasn't exactly how she had wanted to do it, she thought to herself, she had a "Bucket List" as Damon had called it—people she wanted to see and things she wanted to do before this happened.

But, now, there wasn't time.

The people she loved were in danger and she was too weak to help.

At the moment, her mind screamed at her to wait—to hold out.

But, her body and the cravings said otherwise…she could smell it the closer she got to the freezer chest on the far side of the room.

And her heart…well, it had a mind of its own too and it spurred her on, telling her that in the end, all the sacrifices she made would be worth it.

_He_ would be worth it.

Elena's hands fumbled around in the darkness, sliding over the smooth top of the freezer before she finally felt for the lock and lifted it, throwing open the freezer- the light in the small container turning on and revealing her salvation.

Elena winced a little at the light, then reached in tentatively and pulled out a blood bag.


	33. Chapter 33

Kaspar watched with reverence as Kol appeared around the backside of the Jeep at the head of his older brother's coffin, Misha holding onto the back.

He stepped aside as Kol stopped and Misha turned wooden box, allowing them to slide Ioan's coffin the back of the car next to Henrik's.

The three men stood there for a moment, speechless, before Misha took in a deep breath and closed the trunk.

"Let's go…" he said in a low tone, his voice breaking as he pulled his car keys out of his jean pocket and made his way toward the driver's side door, giving a brief sideways glance through the glass of the back passenger window to Rebekah.

She was already sitting in the backseat, her face still tear-stained from the news of Matt Donovan's death.

Kaspar put a sympathetic hand on Kol's shoulder as they both made their way to the front of the car as well.

But, just as Kol opened the door to get into the backseat next to Rebekah, he stopped and wrinkled his nose.

"Bullocks!" he swore under his breath as he quickly closed the door and jogged back up the sidewalk toward the house.

"Kol?!" Kaspar called, rolling down the passenger side window

"Where is he going?" Misha wondered as he put the keys into the ignition and rested his hands on the steering wheel, watching the original disappear into the house.

There was a moment of silence between the three of them as they waited for Kol's return.

"Oh!" Rebekah suddenly gasped with a chuckle from the back seat, "_No_…that would just be too priceless right now if it were true-"

"What?" Misha turned quickly in his seat to face her

Rebekah grinned as she started laughing harder, wiping the tears from her face.

"It's _so_…" she started to say, but stopped to continue laughing, holding onto Misha's seat for support.

"What's so funny?" Kaspar asked, a confused smile crossing his face as he turned in his own seat and watched Rebekah's fit.

"It's just _so absurd_!" Rebekah cried in between breaths, "I'm in the car with two warlocks in the front ...and our dead brothers are in coffins in the trunk and Kol…"

Rebekah held her stomach as she let her head fall back on the headrest, another fit of laughter overcoming her.

"Rebekah?" Misha asked, himself now smiling at her outburst

"It's official…she's cracked." Kaspar quipped, turning back around in his seat

"No!" Rebekah laughed, "Isn't _ it obvious?_ Kol—Kol forgot the creepy cookie jar that's holding Ioan's soul in the house!"

Just then, Misha and Kaspar heard the front door close and looked out the front windshield to see Kol walk out of the house holding the teddy bear cookie jar at arms length, his face contorted in disgust for the object.

Kaspar's gaze turned to Misha and the two warlocks shared a look before they joined Rebekah in her laughter.

Rebekah leaned over and popped open Kol's door and he slid inside, clutching the bear to his chest in disdain.

"Yes. Have a chuckle at my expense," he said, putting on his seat belt with one hand while holding the jar with other as the warlocks and his sister came down from their laughing fits, "But I have the blasted bear now, so let's go be heroes."

# # # #

"Esther," Damon smirked snidely as he stepped forward, "how have you been since the last time we killed you? Still working toward that 'Mother of the Year' award?"

"_Damon_," Stefan chided, shooting his brother a look out of the corner of his eye as he moved to Damon's side in the middle of the room, seeming to create a roadblock between Esther and her sons.

Damon rolled his eyes, "My apologies 'Mommie Dearest'. Welcome to our home—"

"Look," Stefan said, interrupting as he moved forward slowly, focusing on the original witch, "We all know why you're here, what you want, and that you hold all the cards right now, so why don't you just hand over Jeremy and Caroline and we can get down to business, alright?"

Esther smirked as she cast her eyes down to Caroline in the grasp of her left hand, who was now rolling her head forward in her weakened state.

"Very well…" she said, meeting Stefan's gaze, "You may have the vampire, but only because I dosed her with vervain and she's lost her fighting spirit."

After giving Caroline another look, she released her, shoving her forward into Stefan's waiting arms and he immediately moved her over to a nearby chair.

"But, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to keep this one," she said, eying Jeremy with a smile as he still tried to kick himself free, "Insurance policy."

"Fair enough," Stefan acknowledged, moving away from Caroline and casting his eyes over to Bonnie, "Bonnie, are you alright?"

Bonnie closed her eyes and swayed a moment, seeming to try and get her bearings.

"I'm fine…" she whispered, her eyes seemingly empty when she opened them and refocused them on Stefan

"Bonnie's been my host on my return to Mystic Falls. Seeing as I couldn't do magic when I first arrived, she was happy to provide me with the assistance I needed."

"What have you _done _to her?" Elijah chimed in from the sofa, willing himself to sit up as he took in Bonnie's pale face and ragged state.

"Just a possession-projection spell. You see, poor Bonnie didn't realize that by helping me, she was opening the door to me taking over her essence completely when I was ready to finish what I started."

"The continual use of your magic and yours through her body is what raised _your_ mortal body..." Elijah whispered

"Guess we know now why she never called back," Damon added

"Now, before we begin, I want a few questions answered," Esther said, her eyes moving from Damon to Stefan then to Elijah, her grip tightening on Jeremy's throat, "Where is Henrik's necklace?"

"What?" Damon asked

"Why would you think we have it?" Elijah spoke up calmly, but privately he was intrigued by the question

"I found Matt Donovan dead in Stephens Woods near the Felgram Star—the dark soul was gone—_banished-_How, I don't know_. _But more importantly whoever did it stole Henrik's necklace. I _want it_."

"Why would you need Henrik's necklace?" Stefan asked, narrowing his eyes

Esther flared her nostrils

"Now that the dark soul has been banished, she needs the necklace to control Henrik's spirit." Elijah answered

"But, he's gone—we saw him vanish—Poof! Remember?" Damon interjected

"Not for long. She's needs him. He still died by my hand—dark soul or not, his soul won't be freed unless my blood is spilt, unless I die."

"Whoa! Back the death train up!" Damon cried, turning back to face the original, "I met Henrik's spirit—he's not vengeful and he definitely didn't seem like he wanted you dead—"

"But, _she_ does," Elijah whispered, nodding toward Esther, grimacing as he was overwhelmed momentarily with pain before continuing, "And she knows that to keep my little brother's spirit from wandering for all eternity, I'd gladly give her my blood…and I will."

Esther smiled

"But I don't have the necklace," Elijah stated, "And I don't know who does."

Esther's face solemned for a brief moment before she tossed Jeremy Gilbert aside roughly and stormed forward

# # # # #

"Niklaus!" Liliya called into the pure white space abyss that glowed and seemed to stretch for miles.

"Liliya?" Klaus whispered

She quickly turned and found herself face-to-face with her childhood love.

"Oh, my god!" she whispered as he fell helpless into her arms, his face pale and his chest bleeding like hers through the white t-shirt he was wearing in the spirit realm.

She lowered him to the ground, her dark eyes searching his blue.

"What—what are you doing here?" he asked with a small smile, "Is this heaven?"

Liliya sighed as she stroked the side of his face.

"No," she answered looking up and around the room for a moment before continuing, "It's...nowhere…"

"Well, nowhere _really hurts_…" Klaus cringed, trying to stifle a yelp as another searing pain ripped through his body

"I know. Here," she soothed, taking his hand in hers, "Hold on to me."

Klaus nodded weakly, then whispered, "What happened? One minute I was talking to Stefan and the next…I was here."

"You didn't have as much time in your vessel as we thought," Liliya replied, "But don't worry, there might still be a way-"

"Let me guess...Elijah?" Niklaus asked with a raised eyebrow

Liliya nodded

"Elijah should have let me die centuries ago…" Klaus scoffed with a small smile, "But, he's always _holding on_—always finding ways to pull my hind quarters out of the fire to his detriment. He could die saving me right now—"

"To him, it would be worth it—" Liliya replied

"He's a fool," Klaus whispered a tear streaming down his left cheek

"He loves you." Liliya said softly

"I know…" Klaus said, closing his eyes as more tears started to come, "I just wish I could repay him somehow."

"You can," Liliya smiled

"How?"

"Fight. Hold on. Don't leave yet."

# # # # # #

Seeing her move forward, Damon and Stefan charged her from both sides of the room, but Esther quickly flung both arms out vertical to her sides, using her and Bonnie's combined power to repel the Salvatore brothers into opposite parlor walls, cracking the plaster with it's force.

With any obstacles now out of the way, Esther approached the couch, giving a slight glance to Tyler/Klaus still unconscious on the floor before turning her sinister gaze on her oldest son.

She knew he was in pain and too weak to fight.

She needed answers and she knew how to get them.

"Tell me, where is Misha?" Esther asked in a stern tone, towering over Elijah

"I don't know…" Elijah lied

Esther reached forward and grabbed Elijah by the shirt collar, picking him up and tossing him with little effort toward the open flames of the fire place.

With a thud and a grimace of pain, he landed on the hard wood floor just inches from the fire.

"I said, _I don't know!_" Elijah screamed, trying to fight through the pain he was feeling and get onto his hands and knees.

_God, wherever you are, Misha,_ Elijah thought to himself, _Hurry…_

Esther quickly rounded the couch and Klaus' unconscious vessel and made her way toward Elijah as he finally, grabbing on the fireplace mantle for support, brought himself to his feet to face Esther once more.

But, suddenly, a dark shadow sped into the room and to Elijah's surprise, firmly planted itself between him and his mother.

It was Elena, strong, healthy…a vampire.

"Stay away from him!" Elena screamed, her eyes veined and her fangs prominent

Esther's mouth dropped open, but before she could react, Elena tossed her over a hundred feet through the parlor door where she skid across the hallway floor into the wall.

# # # # # #


	34. Chapter 34

"Oh, for heaven sakes…pull over!" Rebekah cried from the backseat of the Jeep as Misha honked his horn at the line of traffic in front of them.

"What's pulling over going to do in rush hour traffic?" Misha shot back, glancing at her in the rear view mirror.

"Well, pull over into that gas station," Rebekah pointed through the back passenger side window, "And we'll show you."

"Wait…I know what this is..." Kapsar quickly turned back to her in his seat, "_No!_ No way you are going to carry us vampire speed…no way!"

"_What?_" Misha yelped, "I'm with Kaspar, there's no way! Plus we have two bodies in the back of the car, what do you propose we do with _them_?"

"We'll figure it out," Rebekah shrugged

"Yeah, do you want to get there before all Hell breaks loose or wait for traffic to clear up?" Kol quipped with a raised eyebrow, "Because I _guarantee_ that Mother isn't stuck in traffic on I-77."

"Fine…" Misha sighed, turning the wheel hard to the right and merging between two cars in the far lane, "But, fair warning—I haven't been dieting lately, so I weigh like _a thousand pounds_—"

"And I have motion sickness," Kaspar interjected

# # # # # #

"Elena…" Elijah whispered from behind her, causing Elena's vampire features to recede and her gaze to shift from where she had shoved Esther as she turned back to face him, smiling softly as their eyes met and he stepped toward her, taking her face gently into his hands as he struggled to remain upright, his face contorting with pain.

She grasped him, bringing him toward her in an embrace.

But their reunion was short lived.

Elena suddenly let out a cry as she was pulled from him, the force causing Elijah to fall back weakly onto the floor with a loud thud as Elena was dragged back across the hardwood by an invisible force.

Elijah looked up to see that it was Esther, now back on her feet in the parlor door way, channeling all of her anger into subduing Elena.

But, Elena only made it halfway across the room, when Stefan quickly appeared, grabbing her by her hands and planting himself, trying to slow Elena's decent toward the witch.

Keeping her magical hold on Elena with one hand, Esther threw the force of her other hand toward Stefan, causing him to fly back toward the side of the room from whence he came, hitting the wall hard again, knocking him out as he crumbled to the floor at the foot of the chair where Caroline still lay dazed from her dose of vervain.

"Anyone else?" Esther chuckled, her eyes circling the room to the unconscious Stefan and Caroline, the weakend Elijah, the body of Tyler Lockwood, and the injured and still dazed Damon Salvatore.

"Actually, we'd like to have a go…" familiar voice sounded from behind Esther

She quickly turned around to see Kaspar Devaraux inches from her face, Misha and Rebekah standing behind him as Kol grabbed the unconscious body of Jeremy Gilbert and dragged him away from the clutches of 'zombie' Bonnie and out the front door to safety.

"Boo!" Misha shouted, stepping forward next to his brother and blowing dust from the palm of his hand into Esther's face.

The original witch flinched violently and her hold on Elena ceased, allowing enough time for Rebekah move forward with vampire speed and grab the doppelganger, then deposit her on the other side of the room next to Damon.

"Damon…" Elena whispered, moving closer to the older Salvatore brother, assessing his condition as Rebekah sped away.

"Are we winning?" Damon groaned, holding his bleeding and dislocated arm as he leaned his head back against the wall where Esther had thrown him earlier.

Elena scoffed with a sad smile, turning her attention toward Elijah as Misha rushed to his side. He seemed okay.

Her eyes then moved to Stefan across the room. He was still out like a light.

Finally, her eyes moved back to where Esther stood, nostrils flaring in the doorway as she faced this new man Elena had never seen before.

As she charged forward, Kaspar fixed his eyes directly on the Original witch and she stopped dead in her tracks as if she had run into an invisible barrier.

Behind her Bonnie gasped in pain, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she fell back against the staircase banister.

Kaspar cocked his head as he took a measured step forward toward the still stunned Esther

"Ander binde henne, aldri slipp..." he said in a low dangerous voice.

Esther stiffened and started to tremble and behind her, Bonnie let out another gasp.

Esther rolled her shoulders like a deranged animal, her eyes rolling swiftly as Kaspar moved closer, his voice becoming harsher.

"Ander binde henne, aldri slipp!" he shouted and Esther's body jolted once more where it stood frozen, her eyes still fixed angrily on Kaspar as she growled and her arms, through no mind of her own, began to rise at her sides, seemingly entangled in invisible bonds.

Kaspar kept his eyes focused on her as he called out, "I've got her! Do it, now! Hurry!"

Rebekah was the first to appear out of nowhere and rush toward Elijah with vampire speed. Kneeling in front of him, she quickly removed her necklace and placed in over her brother's head and around his neck.

"Ander binde henne, aldri slip…" Kaspar continued, keeping a still struggling Esther in check

"Essence return, body and soul…." Misha chanted, focusing his gaze on Elijah, where he still lay weakened in front of the fireplace.

As the necklace made contact with Elijah, Bonnie gasped again and Esther shivered where she stood, closing her eyes tightly in pain.

"No!" she screamed, still struggling against her invisible bonds, but fell quickly silent when Kaspar raised his hand and silenced her, an unseen magic stifling her throat.

Elijah took a shallow breath as he felt a small ounce of warmth begin to spread through his chest. He brought his hand weakly to his sister's face and she smiled sweetly before rolling back on her heels and standing, backing away quickly as Kol arrived to take her place.

"Essence return, body and soul…" Misha said again, his voice growing louder

Kol placed his necklace over Elijah's neck and soon the older original felt the warmth begin to spread, through his chest to his arms…

Esther growled and winced in pain, still struggling, but each time, Kaspar held her back with his spell all the while keeping a close eye on a weakened Bonnie, still sulking near the hallway bannister, weakened and pale.

As Kol moved away, Elijah saw Misha now kneel before him, three talismans now hanging on his wrist.

He put a reassuring hand on Elijah's shoulder before placing them one by one around Elijah's neck.

"Finn…" Misha whispered, placing the wooden charm of a white oak tree with a archer's bow etched, "Essence return, body and soul…"

Elijah gasped as the warmth spread down his torso…

"Henrik…" Misha said, next placing the crescent moon carving onto Elijah, "Essence return, body and soul…"

Elijah's eyes widened as he felt the warmth go down his legs to his toes…

"Ioan…" Misha continued, placing the spearhead with runic markings identical to Niklaus' over

Elijah closed his eyes, he was finding that his pain was disappearing and his breathing was becoming easier.

His Mother's hold was lifting.

"Niklaus…" Misha whispered, almost like a prayer, "Essence return, body and soul…"

# # # # #

Klaus gasped as sat straight up from where he had been laying in Liliya's grasp.

"Elijah…" he whispered, bringing his hand to his chest, resting it over his heart as he stared off into the white abyss that surrounded them.

He then turned and smiled softly at Liliya before disappearing into thin air.

# # # # #

Elijah felt a burning hot sensation course through his veins and his heartbeat quicken. His head started to pound—it wasn't painful exactly, it made him feel _connected_—connected to every single one of his siblings….but one more so than any of the others.

Niklaus…

Nearby, Tyler Lockwood's body suddenly jolted and he opened his eyes.

"Nik!" Rebekah cried, racing toward her brother's vessel as Tyler gasped for air, struggling to sit up.

Elijah's face crumbled with emotion as he took in the sight.

His brother was not lost…not yet.

Misha eyes immediately turned to Elena on the other side of the room.

Within an instant, Kol had made his way toward her and Damon, his dark gaze falling upon the necklace she wore around her neck.

"May I?" he asked politely

She nodded and quickly removed the necklace, but just before she handed it to him she held it back, her eyes meeting the youngest Mikaelson brother's

Nothing was said, but Kol immediately understood and with a short nod took hold of her gently and brought her with him quickly to Elijah's side.

She smiled weakly, their eyes meeting as she kneeled before him.

"Liliya…" she said softly, as she slipped the heart charmed necklace over his head.

"Essence return body and soul…" Misha chanted as he watched Elijah's shoulders roll back, an immediate strength returning to them, allowing the original to straighten to a full sitting position.

Elijah raised his head, his eyes holding no pain or fear, only vitality.

Elena moved back and Misha smiled, holding out a hand to his childhood friend.

Elijah immediately took it with a strong grip as he brought himself to his feet once more.

Esther took in the sight, then immediately closed her eyes, letting her body go limp as she bowed her head, her voice low as she began to speak a whispered incantation.

"Shit…" Kapsar quickly broke eye contact with her as his gaze moved to Bonnie Bennett, a lighted aura beginning to manifest around her. The young witches eyes opened, her irises glowing golden brown before there was a loud crack and Bonnie's spine cracked, killing her instantly, her body hitting the marble floor...the light leaving her eyes.

"_Bonnie!_" Elena screamed, immediately surging forward, but Kol held her back. Everyone stood in stunned shock for what felt like hours, but it only took seconds for Esther to break Kapsar's invisible bonds, her eyes opening and glowing the same golden brown Bonnie's had been.

"She's killed another witch for her power…" Misha whispered

"I'm guessing that's a 'no, no'?" Kol asked, still holding a shocked Elena to him

"Oh, a _big one_," Misha replied, "She's gone dark side now."

Esther's eyes quickly focused on Elijah and Niklaus' vessel as she stepped through the barrier and made her way toward Kaspar, the only obstacle in her way from reaching her sons.

She threw up her hand, sending a force field his way, but he deflected it.

She summoned two chairs from the corner of the room near the fireplace, causing everyone to duck as they flew over their heads toward battling pair, but Kapar flung his hand behind his back to smash them to pieces.

Misha protectively shoved Kol and Elena behind him, then Elijah turned to see Niklaus' vessel come to his other side with their sister in tow. It was Tyler Lockwood's body, but Elijah could see Niklaus' eyes. Tyler's arm immediately pulled Rebekah behind him as Misha, Tyler/Klaus and Elijah braced themselves for a fight.

Esther continued to drive Kaspar backward, until finally, Kaspar stopped, holding his ground as he turned his head quickly over his shoulder and back to Misha.

The two brother locked eyes for a few seconds, before Elijah saw Misha gasp, then nod solemnly.

Kaspar quickly swooped his neck around to face Esther once more and suddenly, the house began to shake.

Misha turned immediately back toward Elena.

"You need to get out of here, Elena, _now!_" he cried

"Elijah!" Elena immediately reacted, reaching out for the original.

"It's alright, Elena, _go_…" Elijah encouraged, his hand barely brushing hers before with a look of pain, she moved with vampire speed toward Damon, helping him to his feet, before they made their way towards the still unconscious Caroline and Stefan. Damon threw Stefan over his injured shoulders with a yelp and Elena grabbed Caroline.

She only gave one look back before they all swept from the room.

"_We_ aren't going to leave you," Kol said stubbornly, sharing a glance with Rebekah, who nodded in agreement

"'Always and Forever' means that you're stuck with us alive, dead or undead…" Rebekah chimed in, "_Forever_."

Tyler/Klaus and Elijah shared a look before nodding appreciatively toward their younger siblings.

But, the sound of a nearby wall cracking soon brought all of their attention back toward the center of the room where Esther started backing away, lowering her hands and halting her magic

"What's going on?" Tyler/Klaus turned to Misha, trying to keep his balance under the still shaking floor, "What's he doing?"

"The only way to fight dark magic…" Misha said sadly, "Is with dark magic."

Kaspar closed his eyes then opened them to reveal that they had turned completely black.

"Step aside, Kaspar," Esther spoke, trying to keep her voice even, "Let me finish this. You know as well as I that there must be a balance—they must die!"

"A balance?" Kaspar scoffed, taking a step closer, "You do not lecture me on the balance of nature, _heks__drapsmann_!" Kapsar suddenly spat at her feet in disgust, "Witch killer! You are no better than the vampires you created!"

Plaster suddenly began to fall violently from the ceiling and not long after, the chandelier in the parlor fell in shattered pieces onto the floor, causing the originals and Misha to all to let out a shout as they moved quickly back, shielding themselves.

Esther growled as she eyed the new blockade.

"If you want to get to them, you're going to have to go through me and _that_!" Kaspar screamed

"While their connection binds them, nothing stands in my way!" Esther cried in reply, moving forward, ready to strike, but Kaspar had an immediate rebuttal.

"See, that's where you're wrong," Kaspar said in a menacing voice, stopping Esther in her tracks, "I'm afraid _you_ don't control the connection anymore."

Esther's eyes widened

"_He _does," Kaspar said sternly, jerking his head back toward Elijah. He then smirked as he cocked his head, his voice low as he met Esther's eyes and started to chant, "From the essence of the one I call you forth….Those forgotten show yourselves…"

Elijah gasped as he suddenly felt his body start to tingle, the unexpected sensation quicky overwhelming him as he fell to his knees.

"Elijah!" Tyler/Klaus immediately knelt beside his brother

"He's alright, it's working…" Misha encouraged, "Let go, Elijah. Focus on the memories. You control the connection. Bring them _here_."

Elijah closed his eyes and instantly a thousand images flooded his brain.

Memories of his human life—hugging Finn in the forest, giving Niklaus and Ioan their necklaces on their twelfth birthday, teaching Rebekah how to sword fight, carving the moons into the cave wall with Henrik, kissing Liliya near the waterfall, drinking and laughing with Kol…But, suddenly, there were _other memories_—Ayanna watching him and Misha as run joyfully past her in her garden, Gloria promising to watch over Niklaus in 1894, and Matt Donovan standing protectively near Elena as they sat around the kitchen table at the Gilbert House…

"From the light come forth…let your vengeance show the way…" Kaspar chanted as he started to circle the still stunned Esther, "Take her back from whence she came…never again let her rise!"

As the memories became stronger and flashed violently past him in a whirlwind, Elijah leaned forward, panting as he felt the warmth from within him rise until it the light started flowing through out through his fingertips and snake out around the chandelier toward Esther.

When the all the light finally left his body, Elijah collapsed into Tyler/Klaus' arms.

"That's enough!" Esther roared like a caged animal, her rage driving her angrily toward Kaspar as the necromancer's eyes suddenly turned from black back to their original honey brown and the aura of light from her eldest son quickly blocked her path to her opponent.

As she reeled back in confusion, the original witch found that the golden light had now manifested and in its place, standing before her, were the spirits of Ioan, Henrik, Liliya, and Matt Donovan.

They stood in a defensive line, preventing her from going any further and all eyeing her with a look of distain.

"Yes," a familiar voice said as Ioan and Henrik parted and the spirit of the witch Ayanna stepped forward, her daughter Gloria at her side, "that is _quite enough_."


	35. Chapter 35

Caroline's eyes blinked, trying to focus, as she suddenly became aware that she was awakening outside.

She could feel grass beneath her back and a cool breeze over her skin and, as she came slowly out of her grogginess, she could hear voices above her.

Immediately recognized them as those of the Salvatore Brothers.

"Ready?" Stefan asked

"Don't be a nancy, just do it," Damon groaned

"Alright…" Stefan said

Then there was a loud popping sound and the older brother let out a shout as Caroline's vision started to clear and she saw Damon wincing and sucking in air violently above her, rotating and rubbing the shoulder his brother had just put back into joint for him.

Caroline struggled to raise her head but decided against it when she immediately felt nauseous and realized that her arms and legs were still paralyzed.

"Hey there," Stefan smiled down at her, noticing that she was now awake as she continued to blink to keep her focus, "How do you feel?"

Caroline groaned as what happened flashed through her mind.

All she could remember was leaving Elena in her bedroom and descending the main staircase, only to find Bonnie at the bottom landing.

Then she had felt a pricking on the back of her neck and turned to see Esther behind her just before everything went dark.

"Ugh…like I got dosed with vervain… " Caroline said softly in a mocking voice, reaching behind her to feel the sore spot still on her neck, "I can't believe that _witch_ vervained me!"

"I don't think she really meant to say 'witch'…" Damon smirked at Stefan with a raised eyebrow

"Yeah, you were pretty out of it when Elena and Damon brought us out here," Stefan continued, ignoring Damon's comment, still focusing on Caroline, "Can you move?"

Caroline closed her eyes and tried to move her arms and legs again, but nothing.

"No," she sighed as she turned her head, "It might be awhile. What exactly _happened_ in there-"

"Um…Caroline …" Damon said quickly as she moved her head away from them

"Hang on..." Stefan added nervously

"OH! OH! MY GOD!" Caroline cried in shock as her head turned away from the Salvatore brothers and suddenly came face –to-face with what looked like a ceramic jar in the shape of a Teddy bear in a tuxedo.

"Is—is that _a cookie jar_?" Caroline asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion at the smiling bear

"We have no idea where it came from. It was just sitting out her on the back lawn when we got here," Stefan said, his tone curious as he eyed the jar

"Kind of creepy isn't it?" Damon interjected

"Terrifying," Caroline agreed, trying hard not to look the insanely happy bear directly in the eye.

She took in a steadying breath then looked around again.

"Wait…" she asked, "Where is Elena?"

# # # # # # # #

When she had been sure Stefan, Caroline and Damon where safe, Elena had quickly turned her attention back to the Salvatore Mansion.

All seemed quiet from a distance and the house had stopped shaking as Elena approached cautiously, subconsciously waiting for it to fall down at any moment from the epic battle that appeared to be about to go down when she had left Esther behind with Elijah, his siblings and their warlock friends.

She knew that Elijah had told her to go, to stay way for her own safety, but something unexplainable was drawing her back—a voice you could call it—in the back of her mind, willing her to go to him now.

It quelled the fear that she still felt in the pit of her stomach and urged her onward as she forced herself around the side of the house to peek into one of the windows .

She would go back to Stefan and Damon and Caroline, she told herself, when she knew that he was okay.

Raising up on the balls of her feet, Elena looked into the picture windows one by one, hoping to catch _any _glimpse as to what was going on.

Finally, when she reached the third window, she saw him.

She sighed in relief…

Elijah was alright. Tyler/Klaus was pulling him to his feet, draping his older brother's arm around his shoulder to hold him up.

It was as Elena surveyed the room, seemingly confused that it wasn't in a shambles, that she realized that no one had really moved from the position they had been standing in when she had left and that everyone—Elijah, Tyler/Klaus, Rebekah, Kol and the two warlocks that had arrived to help them—had their eyes focused on the other side of the room.

And it was Elena moved to the fourth window and looked through that she saw what they were looking at.

She gasped as she saw Esther Mikaelson standing face to face with what looked like several ghosts.

Most of them, Elena didn't recognize, but there were two that she did.

One was Liliya.

And the other…

Elena's heart swelled in her throat, her legs nearly collapsing under her as a tear streamed down her face.

"Matt…" she whispered

# # # # # # # #

"I have nothing to fear from you," Esther scoffed , her voice heightened with emotion like a child who had been backed into a corner, carefully eying the witch who was once her friend, then casting her gaze to the rest of the spirits standing in front of her, "_Any_ of you!_"_

Ayanna smiled kindly.

"You are right," she said looking at the spirits flanking her sides, then folding her hands calmly in front of her, focused on Esther, "We are witnesses here, not your enforcers."

"You know I won't go willingly," Esther replied, her nostrils flaring as she looked to her children on the other side of the ghostly barricade and took a tentative step forward, raising her hand to fire a spell, "Not until my work is complete."

"_It is_," Ayanna said sternly, taking a step forward of her own as Esther fired her spell and it bounced off of Ayanna and backfired, hitting the witch square in the stomach.

Esther growled and straightened, but found Kaspar immediately opposite her at Ayanna's side, his eyes dark black again, ready for a fight.

"Don't even _think_ about it," he warned, "My Mother wants to send you back to Valhallah. Me on the other hand, I have no problem sending you to Hell if you tip my hand."

"Kaspar, that's _enough_," Ayanna scolded softly as she stepped closer, then refocused her gaze on Esther as she continued, "Elijah called us here. Those talismans around his neck brought our essences forth—binding us to him—and as long as that bond holds, he is under our protection and he and his siblings cannot be harmed physically or by magic. So, you're work here _is _finished, Esther."

"But, _I can't_ go back—not until…" Esther said, stepping back as her face fell and her voice trailed off, the realization suddenly hitting her that she would never be able to fulfill her greatest desire and reverse the one regret of her human life.

"I want to talk to my friend," Ayanna said suddenly, her voice again turning kind as she tried to meet her friend's gaze, "I don't want to talk to _Esther_—I want to talk to the Mother of Elijah, Ioan, Niklaus, Finn, Kol, Rebekah and Henrik Mikaelson. Is she in there?"

Esther took a shaky breath through her nose as she straightened and looked up, tears now staining her face.

"No." Esther whispered, once again eying her children and Elijah took in a deep breath, bowing his head.

It was true.

It was exactly as he told Rebekah the night Esther tried to kill them all the first time, before he left town.

"_**We have no Mother…only Esther..." **_

Ayanna nodded in sad reverence, "She was gone the night Niklaus ripped your heart from your chest. You left _her_ behind in the spirit world when you crossed over didn't you?"

Esther only blinked, her nostrils still flaring as she wiped her cheeks—her silence, her only acknowledgement of Ayanna's words.

There were a few moments of silence before Ayanna straightened and spoke again.

"The Mother of these children turned them into vampires out of a need to keep them safe, a selfish and blind deed, yes, but a decision still rooted in _love._ You see, there are two sides to everything in this life. Two sides to every coin—two sides to every story—two sides to every person." Ayanna continued, staring hard at Esther, "And there are two sides to your children, just as there are two sides to you. There is no good versus evil here, because who is good and who is evil? And where do you draw the line? Everyone has both light and dark inside them. The Mother of these children knew the risks when she turned them—but they were risks, in her opinion, that were worth taking—both light _and _dark. She unfortunately paid for her sins when they came back to visit her, but she was _not _this person now standing before me, angry and vengeful."

"If this isn't our Mother," Kol asked suddenly, stepping forward, "Then how did she get here?"

Ayanna opened her mouth, but Tyler/Klaus spoke up first.

"Because of me." He said in a tone of admittance

"What?" Rebekah, Kol and Elijah found themselves all saying in unison

"This _is_ your Mother, but it's only _part_ of her," Ayanna confirmed, turning back to the siblings, "It's called 'Anima discerpens'. Translated from Greek it means 'soul tearing'. It can happen to supernatural beings when they die unnatural deaths. Their soul literally rips apart into two pieces—the light part of their soul seeking the afterlife, while the dark part of their soul tries to stay grounded to the earth, vengeful and always seeking a way back into the mortal world. But, you knew that already, didn't you… Niklaus?"

Tyler/Klaus took a deep breath and nodded as all the eyes in the room turned on him once more.

"That's why you kept her all these centuries…" Kol breathed in sudden realization, "And why her coffin was sealed with a spell. You knew she might try to come back?"

"Yes," Tyler/Klaus admitted, "I learned of Anima discerpens in the 1400's when we were living in England and I was trying to break the curse. At first, I didn't believe it, but then I remembered how Ayanna had preserved Mother's body and I—I knew, with how she died, that I couldn't take the chance she might return. So I returned to our homeland…"

"And dug up her coffin." Kol finished

"Oh my God…" Rebekah whispered in disbelief

"You were always clever, Niklaus," Esther smirked, unable to resist one more jab, "Even as a boy. And your plan to seal me in my coffin for all eternity would have worked except for the one loop hole that you didn't see coming all these centuries—that I wasn't the _only one_ that wanted to kill you. You can send me back to the afterlife, but that fact will _never _change_._"

"Maybe that's true," Elijah suddenly found himself saying as he looked over to Tyler/Klaus, then back to Esther with defiant eyes, "But rest assured that he's _well protected. _After a thousand years, there is one thing that _will _never change and that is that we stick together as one…always and forever. _You t_aught us that, remember?"

Suddenly, Kol appeared at Elijah's side, "And our brother may be a murderer and jerk and yes, an _idiot_ sometimes, but he's _our_ brother, _our_ murderer, _our _jerk and _our _idiot. And no one tries to kill our brother...but us!"

"He _does_ have a point," Rebekah agreed coming to Tyler/Klaus' side and a sharing a small smirk with her older brother

Ayanna smiled as she turned back to Esther with a raised eyebrow and watched as the witch's face turned red with silent fury.

"Your words and your actions no longer have power here, Esther, it's time to return from whence you came—"

"And just how do you propose to send me?" Esther scoffed, folding her arms in defiance

"I told you before, we're not here to take you back…" Ayanna said as her eyes wandered past Esther to a figure now standing behind the witch, " He is…"

Esther's face fell as she followed Ayanna's gaze and turned to see the spirit of Finn standing behind her.

After a few moments of silence, Finn smiled as he held his hand out to Esther.

"Come…" he beckoned with a re-assuring nod as Esther closed her eyes in indecision

"I don't get it…" Kol whispered to Elijah, "Why Finn?"

Elijah shrugged, he himself, perplexed as to why it had to be their brother's spirit that took Esther back.

Tyler/Klaus let out a breath as he interjected into their conversation.

"Of course. Finn was the first to find her body. Her spirit must be bound to him."

"And Finn was the one sibling _this _Esther and your Mother both adored," Misha added, "_He_ is the link. He found her body-he _was_ the grounding force for Esther's spirit here on earth. He will reunite the two halves of her soul in the afterlife. She will be whole again and, hopefully, at rest. She won't return."

All the siblings watched with awe as Esther stared at Finn for another moment, then finally, with a resolute breath and one more glance over her shoulder at those on whom she would never seek retribution, stepped forward, and took Finn's still offered hand.

Then, suddenly, in another moment, it was over.

Finn's spirit disappeared and Esther Mikaelson's body fell lifeless to the ground.


	36. Chapter 36

_**((Hey Guys! Sorry it's been awhile and sorry this is a short chapter. I'll update again soon.))**_

It was uncontrollable and fierce.

Maybe it was because she was a newly made vampire, incapable of controlling her heightened emotions or maybe it was because every single memory of Matt—from the first day they met in Kindergarten, until moments before when Elena saw him as a ghost—flashed through her mind.

She tried to breathe, though now, as a vampire, she didn't exactly have to, but still tried-more to calm herself than anything else.

_He's dead_…she thought as he fell to her knees, trying to catch herself against the brick wall.

Not only had she lost Bonnie today, but _Matt._

And suddenly, the tears came harder and her chest heaved more rapidly.

As her head fell back, Elena caught a glimpse of someone tall—a male figure with dark hair.

"Elijah…" she whispered through wet, blurry, half-opened eyes

"No, Elena it's me—it's Damon," Damon said in a soft, sympathetic voice, kneeling down next to her on the grass.

"Matt's gone," she suddenly blubbered, falling into the eldest Salvatore Brother's arms

"I know," Damon replied, looking up to Stefan, who was looking through the window above them now at what was transpiring, Caroline now at his side, holding the cookie jar in her hands.

Damon's eyes moved back to Elena.

"Come on…" he whispered sweetly, wrapping his good arm around her and pulling her into his grasp with ease

# # # # # # # # #

For a few minutes there seemed to be an eerie silence that fell between the spirits on one side of the room and the three vampires, one hybrid and two warlocks that faced them on the other side.

Everyone eyed each other, finally able to focus on one another with Esther out of the way.

"Ioan…" Tyler/Klaus smiled, Kol at his side, as he stepped forward toward his twin brother. He wished he could touch him—hug him—hold him. He reached his hand out absentmindedly to touch his brother's arm, but Ioan just smiled sadly as it passed through.

# # # # # #

"Mama, Thank You—" Misha said a few feet away, facing Ayanna and his sister with Kaspar now at his side

"Hush, Baby," Ayanna soothed, then looked over to Elijah, "I'm not the one you should thank. He was the one who brought us here. I just showed _you_ the way. Anyway," she continued, turning back to her sons, "It's over now and I'm so proud of _both_ of you."

Kaspar looked to Misha and smiled.

"We should be going," Gloria said, looking toward Ioan's spirit and Tyler/Klaus, "I think you all have some unfinished business to attend to."

# # # # # #

As Rebekah helped a still weakened Elijah to the nearby couch, the siblings suddenly noticed they were not alone.

"Matt," Rebekah whispered with a trembling voice as she looked up upon the pale face of Matt Donovan's spirit.

Matt smiled as he looked at the two of them, then after a few moments spoke

"Tell Elena I'm okay?" he asked, "Tell her that I love her—all of them—and that I died with no regrets?"

"Of course," Elijah said solemnly, "But Matt, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Matt replied

"Why did _you_ appear when I summoned the power of the talismans? How are we connected?"

Matt smiled as he stepped back, "In your heart, you know the answer to that, Elijah."

Then with one last look at Rebekah, he was gone.

# # # # # #

"How are you feeling?" Liliya asked, taking Rebekah's place next to Elijah

"I've been worse," Elijah smiled weakly, looking her over with kind eyes, "Where is Elena?"

"Our connection is still intact. I feel she is safe. Damon has her." Liliya acknowledged

"Good," Elijah sighed, relieved, then his eyes fell on Henrik as his youngest brother came to stand in front of him.

"Ejah?"

"Ja?" Elijah answered in their native tongue, his heart swelling at the mention of his childhood name as he watched his younger brother look over his shoulder toward Ioan, then turn back to face him.

"Kan vi gå hjem nå?" Henrik asked

Elijah closed his eyes and nodded.

"Yes, Henrik, you can both go home now."

# # # # # # #

"Well, now that the 'love fest' is over with," Kaspar smiled, rubbing his hands together as he and Misha came over to join Rebekah, Elijah, Liliya and Henrik, "we can do what we came to do."

"'Love fest'?" Rebekah asked with a curious smile

"Oh, yeah…" Kaspar replied, "Love _all around_, girl. Vengeance brought the spirits here, but it was the love in those talismans around Elijah's neck that generated their protection—bonded them to him and by default, to Niklaus and all of you. See, once _he_ was in control of the connection Esther tried to kill you all with, she had to back down."

"I just wish we could have seen Finn longer," Rebekah said, looking to Elijah with sad eyes

"Well, he was the one both sides of Esther's soul loved _and_ he was the only brother, well, besides Henrik here, that Elijah had a strong bond with. If we were going to send her back to the light, not the dark, it _had_ to be him."

"What do you mean?" Rebekah asked, "Why would Finn and Henrik have a stronger bond with Elijah than we do?"

"Life and death are what truly bond people in the magical sense," Misha added, "Elijah saved Finn's life once and took Henrik's. That kind of love leaves a mark-an invisible bond."

"_That's the power of love!" _Kaspar suddenly sang out

"Did you _really_ just do that?" Misha chuckled, turning to his brother with a raised eyebrow

"Too much?" Kaspar quipped with a smile

"Yes." Rebekah, Misha, Lililya and Elijah all answered simultaneously

"I don't understand this comment…" Henrik interjected, "Does it have something to do with the little people inside the television?"

# # # # # # #

With the reunions over and everyone safe, Kaspar and Misha endeavored to now bring Klaus back in Ioan's body and release Henrik and Ioan's souls back into the afterlife, so Kol immediately made his way out the front door, hoping to find what he had left safely on the lawn of the Salvatore Mansion when they had arrived.

But, when he made it down the porch steps, he stopped in his tracks, coming face to face with Caroline Forbes in a model stance, holding the teddy bear cookie jar up in her hands.

"Looking for this?" she asked with a coy smile


	37. Chapter 37

"They're back here," Kol said as he led Caroline through the underbrush on the outskirts of the wooded area behind the Salvatore Mansion.

"Oh, my God…" Caroline said, suddenly cutting ahead of Kol when she saw Jeremy Gilbert lying on top of one of the two wooden coffins on the ground before them, "It seems your brothers aren't the only bodies back here!"

She shoved the cookie jar hard into Kol's hands and he grimace with a huff as he watched Caroline rush to Jeremy's side.

"Well, I'm full of surprises…" Kol smirked

"Jeremy?" she whispered, frantically running her hand over his forehead then put her hand on his neck to check for a pulse.

"Oh, come off it. He's_ fine_. Just knocked out is all." Kol said, rolling his eyes as he stepped forward, setting down the cookie jar on Henrik's coffin.

Suddenly, Jeremy Gilbert coughed and his eyes fluttered.

"Jeremy, it's Caroline." Caroline said in a soothing voice, trying to meet his gaze, "Are you okay?"

Jeremy grimaced as he tried to sit up, "I'm fine. What happened? Where's Esther?"

"Esther?" Caroline asked, then looked over her shoulder back at Kol

"Mother took him hostage about the same time she vervained you," Kol said, filling in the blanks

"You…" Jeremy suddenly said, focusing his eyes on the younger original as he rubbed the back of his head, "I remember _you_. You dragged me out of there during the fight…you saved me."

Caroline's mouth fell open as she looked from Jeremy to Kol.

"Told you I was full of surprises," Kol smirked again, then he stepped forward, motioning to the box underneath Jeremy and Caroline, "Now if you don't mind, you're sitting on my big brother."

# # # # # # #

Elena's entire body trembled, though she wasn't quite sure how it was possible—vampires don't exactly suffer from shock…do they?

She stumbled her way to her own bed and fell into it, already staining the purple cotton sheets with tears again when Damon arrived moments later with a thermal blanket.

"Come here," he whispered as he sat down on the side of the bed and watched as she forced herself to sit up again and fell into his arms as he opened the blanket and wrapped it around her like a burrito.

"It's okay…" he said softly as she started crying into his shoulder, his good arm grasping her tight to his chest, "It's okay…"

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as the blanket warmed her and she let herself sink deeper into his arms, feeling his lips on her hair as he kissed her forehead.

Damon…

When she was human, her heart always beat a little faster in his presence and her blood boiled when he cast his gaze upon her. He was the only one who could anger her and still give her goose bumps at the same time.

But, now, in his grasp as a vampire, Elena found herself feeling safe, secure, loved and wanted by him.

Did she feel the same?

She searched her mind, but wasn't sure.

Damon had always been her friend, but she had been certain the last month or so, that something more was developing between them.

Was it the grief? Perhaps that is why she wasn't feeling the burning for him that she had felt when she was human.

Perhaps, being a vampire, she was only allowed one overwhelming emotion at a time.

Or perhaps it was that before she turned, in her heart, she had chosen Stefan and not him?

_Did_ she love Stefan?

And why was she suddenly thinking about this now?

Elena squeezed her eyes tight and decided to think about this all later.

She just curled in closer to Damon and let herself cry.

# # # # # # #

Everyone in the parlor turned their gaze when the heard the front door to the Salvatore Mansion open and watched Kol walk into the room with both of his brothers coffins balanced on his shoulder.

Caroline soon followed, holding the teddy bear cookie jar in her hands, she and Jeremy having parted ways with them on the front porch to make sure Elena was alright at home.

"Caroline," Tyler/Klaus said softly as he walked away from where he had been standing with Ioan and made his way toward her.

"Oh, my God…" Caroline smiled in disbelief as they came face to face, "You're alright?"

Tyler/Klaus immediately pulled her into his grasp and embraced her, "I'm so glad to see you_,_ Love."

Without a last word, only a smile, Liliya disappeared and Rebekah helped Elijah to his feet from where he sat on the couch and he crossed the room toward Kol, watching his brother and Misha lay the coffins down gently near the fireplace.

"_Whoa,_ hold on…" Tyler/Klaus groaned slightly as he pulled away and looked down between himself and Caroline to the object still in her hand, "What is this?"

Caroline held up the cookie jar proudly with a sarcastic smile, "Cute right?"

"Um…_No._" Tyler/Klaus said bluntly with a chuckle.

"Alright, I think we're ready," Misha said, capturing everyone's attention before casting his eyes toward Kaspar and watched as his younger brother took one last deep breath before walking out of the corners of the room where he had been mentally preparing himself for the task at hand.

Kaspar nodded to Misha and Misha slid open Henrik's coffin.

Rebekah, Kol and Elijah watched as Henrik's spirit stepped forward cautiously toward his coffin and when he came to the edge, finally, with a deep breath, looked down at his still and lifeless body.

"Elijah, Henrik's talisman," Kaspar spoke, breaking the silence of the moment

Elijah nodded and looked down to his neck, gently removing Henrik's moon talisman from where it lay among the others and bringing it over his head.

The others watched solemnly as Kol now stepped forward, removing a pocket knife from the back pocket of his jeans and held it out to Elijah.

"Elijah, Henrik needs your blood to be freed from Esther's spell." Kaspar decreed

"But I thought Esther wanted to kill him—" Rebekah started, but Misha interjected

"The Dark Soul was the one who needed Elijah's life, Henrik just needed his blood."

Elijah blinked for a moment, staring at the pocket knife before taking it into his grasp.

Then, after taking a deep breath, his eyes now meeting Henrik's, Elijah placed the talisman in the palm of his hand and cut a deep line into his palm, grimacing slightly as the blood began to show.

Somehow-he was quite sure how- he knew exactly what he had to do in that moment—what was needed.

He let the blood smear on the talisman before the cut healed, then handed the knife back to Kol.

Still locking eyes with Henrik, he now walked forward toward his brother's open coffin, stopping at the edge on the opposite side.

"I suppose this is farewell," Henrik smiled weakly, trying not to let his emotions show

"I suppose it is." Elijah replied

There was a moment of silence as Henrik looked past Elijah back toward Rebekah, Kol, Ioan and Tyler/Klaus, smiling as he took in all of their faces before looking back down at himself lying in the coffin, again.

"I'm sorry," Elijah suddenly said, his voice trembling slightly

Henrik immediately looked up, "No. Don't ever be sorry, Ejah. You gave me a gift. You took away my misery."

"I was selfish." Elijah replied

"You were being my big brother," Henrik stated finally

Elijah's face fell, but he willed the tears from coming.

"I still wish I could hug you," Henrik whispered then looked back over to his other siblings, his eyes falling on Rebekah, who had always been his favorite, last, "All of you."

Elijah smiled at this, then looked down to the talisman in his hand, unsure.

"Do it," Henrik said, his eyes falling on Elijah once more, "I'm not afraid. I _will_ see you again."

"I hope so." Elijah said as he knelt down beside the coffin, now staring at the mortal face of his youngest brother.

Suddenly, he saw Kaspar at his side, placing a hand on the boy's tunic covered chest.

"Place the talisman around his neck," Kaspar instructed and Elijah closed his eyes, then with one last look up at the spirit of Henrik, gently placed the carved necklace carefully around his head brother's neck.

"Blod tatt nå tilbakebetalt…" Kaspar whispered

And with one last smile and a look of peace, the spirit of Henrik closed his eyes and disappeared.

Elijah gasped, the tears finally coming to his eyes as he looked down to the face of his brother, lying in his coffin.

And as Kaspar removed his hand and leaned back, bringing himself to his feet, Elijah leaned forward, brushing his brother's dark hair aside as he kissed the side of his head.

"Jeg elsker deg, lillebror," he said softly against his brother's cold skin

And as he pulled back again, felt a hand on his shoulder—it Tyler/Klaus.

Then he felt one on his other shoulder—It was Kol

Then as he collapsed completely, he felt an arm snake lovingly around his neck from behind and pull his head into an embrace—It was Rebekah.

And there the siblings stood, comforting each other as Misha quietly slid the coffin lid back over Henrik's body.

# # # # # #

A few moments later, Misha slid open the second coffin to reveal the body of Ioan Mikaelson.

"Oh…Wow…" Caroline whispered as she took in the resemblance.

Seeing the spirit was one thing, but actually seeing Klaus' physical twin was something quite different.

"May we have the vessel, please?" Kaspar asked, beckoning Caroline forward and out of her trance as she stared at the body in the coffin

"Oh, yeah…sure," Caroline said, shaking her head and handing the teddy bear cookie jar over the coffin to where Kaspar stood on the other side.

"Can we smash that when it's all over?" Kol asked hopefully from nearby as he eyed the jar in Kaspar's hands with disdain, "I never want to see the blasted thing again."

He then looked over to Ioan's spirit.

"No offense," he added with a smirk

"Ingen tatt…" Ioan replied a smile of his own

"We'll actually smash it _now_," Kaspar replied, "I just need both Niklaus and Ioan's talismans."

Kaspar looked over to Elijah and the eldest original stepped forward, still wiping under his eyes and pulling himself together from the ceremony that had just released Henrik.

He sniffed as he pulled the talismans one by one from his neck, then handed them to Misha, who wrapped them around the lid of the jar.

Then, as he held the jar balanced in one hand, Kaspar knelt down next to Ioan's coffin and placed his free hand inside, slowing moving the hand a circular motion over the body's chest.

The spirit of Ioan took a deep breath and gasped slightly

"Ioan?" Tyler/Klaus stepped forward protectively, but Misha held him back.

"He's alright… just watch," Misha whispered

"Hører min røst, soul komme frem…" Kaspar chanted, his eyes closing then opening to reveal themselves to be completely black, "Spells binde lenger du, dødelige kjød ikke lenger holder deg…"

Ioan gasped again, bringing his hand to his chest, not sure whether to wince or to smile.

"Være nå gratis ..." Kaspar said finally, then closed his eyes as he threw the jar hard onto the marble floor, the talismans sliding across the floor as it smashed to pieces, releasing the gas that was trapped inside.

It was then that Ioan removed his hand from his chest and looked at his four remaining siblings.

"Goodbye," he whispered, his eyes falling lastly on Niklaus

Then he disappeared.

And suddenly, Kaspar's eyes flew open again and he quickly swung his head around to cast his gaze on Tyler/Klaus.

Everyone watched as Tyler/Klaus immediately froze under Kaspar's intense stare, his eyes widening, then rolling into the back of his head as his body seized and he fell unconscious into Misha's arms.

"Nik!" Rebekah cried, but Kol held her back, his eyes moving to Caroline who looked just as worried as Elijah came to her side.

"We need him unconscious," Misha said reassuringly as he pulled the body over and laid it on the floor parallel next to Ioan's coffin with Kaspar sitting in between, now placing his hands onto the chest of both bodies.

"Ofre gitt, sjel i eteren…" Kaspar chanted, his eyes now turning from dark black, to a glowing amber, "Blood villig gitt ..Kjøtt villig tatt …" he then looked from Ioan's body in the coffin to Tyler/Klaus', "…Live nå!"

The entire room now watched in awe as Tyler/Klaus eyes and mouth automatically opened and a golden aura now snaked its way from Tyler/Klaus' open mouth over Kaspar's head and down into the coffin, filling Ioan's nostrils.

Then, Tyler/Klaus' eyes and mouth closed and his body went completely still as Kaspar quickly pulled his hand away from both men's bodies.

"It is done," he said, as he looked around the room with a smile, his eyes turning back to their normal color.

Suddenly, there was a gasp of air and a cough from inside the coffin.

"Nik…" Rebekah whispered joyfully and watched with Caroline, Misha, Kol and Elijah as Klaus Mikaelson opened his new eyes and raised himself from his brother's coffin.


	38. Chapter 38

"How is she doing?" Damon asked as Stefan came down the stairs of the Gilbert House and met him on the landing near the doorway

"Jeremy climbed in bed with her. She's asleep finally," Stefan sighed, rubbing his eyes

"I was thinking that since she's finally down, we should head back to the house," Damon said, "you know, check on the originals and Caroline, take care of Bonnie's body and Matt's, too...though we have _no idea_ know where _he_ is so, _that _should be fun—"

"And I'll have to call the insurance adjuster," Stefan scoffed with a small smile that Damon returned

"I bet you ten bucks the chandelier in the parlor is smashed to bits," Damon said, rolling his eyes, "Dad'll turn over in his grave. That chandelier is probably the one thing in our family that's actually _from _Italy."

"Zach had all the insurance papers in his office somewhere," Stefan chuckled over his shoulder as he made his way toward the front door, "I'll call Benson when we get there and maybe he can call Italy about a new chandelier for us—"

"Oh, I heard his son took over the business," Damon interjected, following behind his brother

"What? Why?" Stefan replied, stopping in his tracks and turning back to face his brother, "Where's Benson?"

"Oh, didn't you hear?" Damon asked innocently, biting his lip and squinting his eyes, unsure how to break the news, "Benson—_Well,_ Benson might be the _teensiest_ bit dead."

"Dead? When?" Stefan asked, his face falling

"About forty years ago," Damon confessed, his body language looking like five year-old who had swiped a forbidden cookie from the cookie jar, "He was kind of a little snack the last time I came to town to visit Zach—"

"_Damon_," Stefan chided as he watched his brother pass him and make his way to the door, "He was a family friend."

"And a member of the town council_,"_ Damon shot back as he threw the latch and pulled open the front door, "I can't be held responsible for past grudges _and_ as I've mentioned before, not all of us can exist on bunnies, _okay?_ But, if it makes you feel better, the guy tasted funny and didn't sit too well."

He then waved for his brother to follow him, "Now, let's not pout about it and get going."

Stefan sighed and nodded as he watched Damon cross the threshold.

Soon, Damon turned back to look at his brother, his face and voice full of mock enthusiasm as he rubbed his hands together like an anxious preteen girl, "You know, I hear Klaus is going to have a new body! Won't _that_ be fun?"

"Yes. I'm so excited…I'm skipping home." Stefan deadpanned in a monotone voice as he shut the door behind them.

# # # # # # #

"Will there be any side effects?" Elijah asked, leaning against the fireplace in the back parlor of the Mikaelson Mansion, facing Misha and Kaspar, who were seated side by side on the leather couch in the center of the room, Rebekah perched on the arm closest to Misha.

"Well, we're talking about raising the dead, Elijah," Kaspar said, raising an eyebrow, "It's not an exact _science—"_

"What he wants to know, _Dr. Frankenstein_," Rebekah interjected, turning toward the necromancer, "Is will this come back to bite us in the ass somehow?"

"_That,_ I don't know," Kaspar quipped, "Ask Misha, he's the mystic palm-reading drag queen... maybe he can see into the future for you—"

"Now _that_ is a low blow!" Misha gasped dramatically, rolling his eyes as he clutched his chest and Rebekah chuckled, "You know how seriously I take my art!"

"I—I just don't know about this," Elijah said, ignoring the sibling squabble and stepping away from the fireplace, taking a seat on one of the leather recliners and looking anxiously down to his hands, "Perhaps we should have left things as they were. Raising Niklaus is one thing, but what if Esther ever comes back? She could be in danger if that happens and, by extension, all of us if Esther gets a hold of that much power, again —"

"That's _not_ gonna happen, Boy." Misha said, trying to sound reassuring as he looked Elijah square in the eye, "She's gone…_for good."_

Kaspar nodded in agreement

"Alright," Rebekah said, suddenly, slapping her hands on her thighs and standing from her position on the edge of the couch and walking toward her older brother, kneeling down in front of him and taking his hands in hers, "You know what I think, Elijah? As dangerously gushy and trite as this may sound, I think that Elena Gilbert has lost a lot of people she's cared about in the last year and most of it has happened because of us, well…_mostly Nik_…but us, too."

Elijah smirked slightly at her comment, studying her as she took a measured breath then continued, "And I think that if we can give her this, _we should_. After all, we got someone we loved back out of all this…so should she...as much as I hate to admit it."

Suddenly, a voice came from the parlor doors as Kol entered, holding a still unsteady Bonnie Bennett under the elbows for support, "Here's our girl!"

Bonnie looked around the room, squinting hard at both the new and familiar faces in it, a little unsure for a few moments as to where she was and who she was with.

"What happened?" she asked in a groggy voice

Misha turned to his brother.

"I'm just a simple 'mystic palm-reading drag queen'," he quipped in a feminine southern accent, "You wanna take this one Dr. Frankenstein?"

# # # # # # #

He couldn't believe it…

It was him.

He was back.

Klaus dried his freshly washed face with a hand towel, smiling slightly as he studied it closely in the bathroom mirror, running his hand over his smooth, chiseled chin and turning to the side to view his profile. Growing up, people had always commented on how uncannily identical he and Ioan had always looked, more so than most twins. Klaus had always laughed it off centuries earlier, but now as he looked at himself reborn, he had to agree.

It was so surreal. It was like he had never left his own body.

Of course, the hair had to go and a wardrobe change would be necessary or the townspeople might start to think that someone was shooting a Viking movie in Mystic Falls, but otherwise, this whole 'new body' thing might just work out.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the bedroom door.

Klaus stepped away from the mirror and walked out of the bathroom, furrowing his eyebrows curiously as he threw the hand towel over his bare shoulder and crossed his bedroom to open the door.

It was Caroline.

Klaus' breath caught when he saw her.

She had a response of her own, blushing at the sight of him half-naked.

"Caroline," he finally said, stating the obvious

"I—I brought you some clothes," she said softly, holding out the neatly folded pile of mens clothes in her arms

"I see," Klaus deadpanned with a smile

"Yeah," Caroline continued nervously, trying not to let her eyes wander over his exposed flesh, "Well, Elijah mentioned that Ioan was slightly taller than you and well, physically larger in general …"

She suddenly trailed off and visibly swallowed

"Anyway, long story short, he thought you might need some bigger clothes, so he had me raid Finn's closet."

Klaus nodded in response

Then a few moments of awkward silence fell between them.

"Would you like to come in?" Klaus suddenly asked, stepping back and holding the door open for her

"Oh..uh_… no_…" Caroline gasped quietly, shaking her head, thinking of all the things that might happen if they were alone in the same room together…him half naked and… "I just came to bring you these and… so I have."

She smiled nervously as she handed the clothes across the threshold to Klaus, who took them into one arm with a perplexed look.

"Thanks," he said awkwardly

"Okay then…" Caroline said, taking a deep breath before turning away to head back downstairs

"Caroline, _wait_," Klaus said quickly, reaching across the threshold and taking her hand with his free one.

Caroline closed her eyes at his touch and forced herself to turn back.

"I—I know this is a bit strange," Klaus started, his eyes focusing on Caroline' as she opened her eyes to look at him, "Me being, _sort of _myself again…and not in Tyler's body. And I also know that it might change your feelings—"

Caroline took a deep breath, "Klaus—"

"No, wait. I need to say this," Klaus said, suddenly dropping the clothes onto the floor at his feet and stepping across the threshold into the hallway, now taking both of his hands in hers, "Listen, I don't want things to change between us, Caroline. Because, I like the way things are with us now..._alot._"

He smirked and she blushed, knowing that he was thinking about their hot make-out session in the woods.

"And—" he said, looking down for a moment, then looking up at her with soft eyes, "well, I've waited a long time for you…_centuries_, really…but, I want you to know that I understand what you must be going through right now and that I'll wait centuries more if that is what it takes for you _truly_ fall in love with me in this body and not in Tyler's."

"You think that's all that was?" Caroline immediately asked, perplexed

"Well, I know feelings can be biased when people you don't know are sort of driving around the skin of people you do know …"

"Klaus," Caroline said, holding his hands tighter in hers as her gaze met his head on, "Let's get something straight, alright? I _know _who it was that I was talking to through the Lockwood's cellar door and who I went all 'true confessions' on in my car _and_ whose lips I was kissing in those woods…it was _you_. And I wouldn't change that for the world."

Klaus smirked with a mixture of relief and happiness, bringing one of his hands up to stroke the side of Caroline's face as she smiled, her eyes dancing.

There was another silence as they both absorbed the moment, then Klaus spoke, stepping closer to Caroline.

"Then, I propose something…" he said in a low voice

"Yes?" Caroline asked, every nerve in her body tingling with anticipation at the shrinking proximity of this very handsome and shirtless man.

Caroline closed her eyes and held her breath as Klaus leaned in and brushed her curly locks aside, his fingertips gently grazing the skin on the side of her neck as he whispered in her ear.

"When this is all over, I propose that you and I, Miss Forbes, go out on a date."

Caroline exhaled, opening her eyes with a giggle

# # # # # # #

Elena opened her eyes and turned her head to her left, moving her arm over and hoping to feel her brother lying next to her, but all she felt was the blanket he had been laying under as he had held her until she fell asleep.

And it was cold.

He had been up for a while.

Then, as she pulled herself to a sitting position, she picked up a noise downstairs with her vampire hearing, then footsteps before the door opened and Jeremy walked in.

His face was pale and his mouth still hanging open as he brought his cellphone down from his ear.

"Jer?" Elena asked, her voice urgent as she sat forward, "What happened? What's wrong?"

"Damon just called. It's Bonnie…" Jeremy started, but Elena interjected, remembering that Jeremy had been out for most of the last part of the fight with Esther—her voice heightening with emotion as she relived in her mind the moment one of her best friends died before her eyes.

"Jeremy I'm so sorry. I should have told you that Esther snapped her neck—there was nothing we could do—"

"Well, apparently there was…" Jeremy stated, still dumbfounded by what was about to come out of his mouth.

"What do you mean?"

"Damon just put Bonnie on the phone," Jeremy smiled in disbelief, "She's _alive_, Elena. They were able to somehow channel the magic Esther took from her back into her body. She's alive."

Elena's mouth fell open

# # # # # # #

"Yes. I'm looking at the damage now," Stefan said, standing in the middle of the Salvatore's back parlor, his IPhone pressed to his ear and his eyes trained on the damage scattered about the room, including the wedding cake chandelier that lay in a shattered pieces at his feet, "By the way…how are you at finding replacements for three hundred year –old chandeliers?"

Damon smirked as he turned to Elijah, who was watching Rebekah sit down on the couch next to Bonnie Bennett, offering her a glass of water.

"Is she really going to be okay?" Damon asked, his eyes falling on Bonnie

"Only time will tell…" Elijah sighed, "I wish I had a better answer, but that's all I have."

Damon nodded, then looked around the room, "Where are your warlock friends?"

"Misha and Kaspar went to retrieve Matt Donovan's body," Elijah said softly, thinking of the last words Matt's spirit had spoken to him, "When they return, we'll turn his body over to you. He deserves a proper burial."

"Thank you." Damon said, meeting the original's gaze

Elijah nodded solemnly then asked, "It appears my Mother's body has disintegrated, but Kol's making final preparations for the funeral rites of my youngest brother and, if you like, we could include Matt—"

"Funeral _rites_?" Damon suddenly interjected with a raised eyebrow

"Yes. When my brothers died, their bodies were preserved with magic and buried. Ioan's body is now Niklaus' vessel, but Henrik's body still remains. He deserves to finally be laid to rest as per Nordic tradition."

"And just how to do you plan to that?" Damon inquired

"Well, traditionally we burn our dead, Damon. This ensures that the soul is truly free, never to haunt it's mortal body again. And in this case, it's the best defense in keeping anything or anyone from using him as a weapon against my siblings and I ever again."

"Sounds good," Damon agreed, "Just don't let Sheriff Forbes catch you."

"Would you like us to honor Matt as well?" Elijah asked

"I appreciate the thought, but Stefan and I will take care of it."

Elijah nodded with understanding eyes

"Alright," Kol said, suddenly walking into the room, holding a bow and slinging a pack of arrows over his back as he waved a small bottle of accelerant and a lighter in his hand, "Let's do this."

# # # # # # #

When Elena and Jeremy arrived at the Salvatore Mansion, they were greeted by Damon and Caroline.

"How are you doing?" Caroline asked Elena softly, judging her emotional state

"I'm…I'm okay…" she whispered, though clearly her eyes said the opposite

"Where's Bonnie?" Jeremy asked, quickly removing his coat, turning to Damon as the older Salvatore helped Elena remove hers

"She's in the back parlor." Damon said, nodding in the general direction of the room.

Jeremy smirked slightly before taking off.

"So is Bonnie _really _okay?" Elena asked Damon when her brother had disappeared out of sight.

"I think so. She seems a little out of it, but being dead can do that to people," he replied, hanging her coat on the hallway tree.

"I just can't believe she's alive," Elena smiled, still unsure of how it made her feel

"Score one for Team Mystic Falls," Damon smirked and Caroline silently cheered with mock enthusiasm behind him causing Elena to chuckle

Then she nodded to the two of them and started heading down the hallway toward the parlor, but Damon stopped her, grabbing her arm gently

"Elena, we need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" Elena asked, turning back to face them, her curiosity peaked

"Elijah's friends—the warlocks—they retrieved Matt's body for us. It's—well, _he's_ upstairs." Caroline said

Elena's breath hitched and her eyes absentmindedly moved up to the ceiling.

"We are going to give him a proper burial—Stefan, Caroline and I—and we thought you might want to be there."

"Of course I do," Elena said softly then added "Just us, though?"

Absentmindedly, she found her thoughts moving to Elijah.

"Where is everyone else?" she asked

"Well, they have their own funeral to tend to." Damon replied

# # # # # #

"I still can't believe we're doing this," Rebekah said as she stood next to her brother at the water's edge of the quarry lake, "Isn't there a law now against burning bodies?"

"Who died and made you the funeral police, Bekah?" Kol smirked, turning toward her

Rebekah wrinkled her nose at him and scoffed as she looked down to the bow in his hand, "Just watch where you point that thing, alright?"

"I quite agree," Klaus chimed in nearby as he came to Rebekah's side, "Finn was the archer in the family, _you _however, will just poke someone's eye out by the time this is all over."

"God, it's good to know that after a thousand years, some things _never change_…" Kaspar smirked, looking over his shoulder at Rebekah, Kol and Klaus still arguing on the bank, then turned to Elijah and Misha as they stood surrounding the wooden rowing boat that now held the body of Henrik Mikaelson.

"We ready?" Misha asked, placing a reassuring hand on Elijah's shoulder as the original stared down at the peaceful face of his youngest brother.

After a few moments, Elijah nodded and stepped back, watching silently as Kaspar and Misha leaned down and each pulled up a container full of accelerant that sat at their feet, instantly pouring it over Henrik's body.

When they were finished, Elijah started to make his way back up the bank toward his siblings, who had now stopped arguing as they watched him approach.

Misha and Kaspar stayed behind, gently shoving the boat off the shore and into the vast lake, everyone now watching as it started on its journey.

"Lo, there do I see my Father," Elijah said in a methodical tone, remembering in English the funeral prayer he heard recited so many times in his youth, "Lo there do I see my Mother and my sisters and my brothers…"

"Lo, there do I see the line of my people...back to the beginning…" Rebekah recited, joining Elijah in the prayer, her hand snaking around his arm to take his hand in hers as she came to his side.

"Lo, they do call to me...They bid me take my place among them..." Klaus added

"In the halls of Valhalla…" Kol followed

"Where the brave may live forever." They all finished together

Then there was a moment of silence and they all bowed their heads

"Strength and honor…" Elijah said

"Courage and valor…" Klaus recited the response automatically

Then Elijah recited the last words of the ritual, usually reserved for the eldest male in deceased's family.

"Av vilje Odin, kan din sjel nå være fri…" Elijah said solemnly, before raising his head and turning to Kol, finding that he had already lit the arrow strung in his bow during the recitation.

Elijah nodded to him and Kol angled the bow high in the air, taking aim for a few moments before shooting the arrow out into the distance.

They all watched, holding their breath as the arrow arched through the night sky, brushing the stars as it fell and finally hit its mark, wreathing Henrik's boat in the flames that would free his mortal flesh and send his spirit home to their ancestors.

# # # # # # #

"That should do it," Stefan said as he slowly slid the face of one of the vaults in the Salvatore Family crypt back into place and it was only as he stepped way, that Elena read the carved on the stone.

_**Stefan Matteo Salvatore **_

_**1846-1864**_

_**Beloved Son**_

"I don't understand…" she said softly, "We just buried Matt in your vault?"

"It's been empty for centuries," Damon said, coming up next to her and pointing to his own headstone, "They both are."

_**Damon Alessandro Salvatore **_

_**1840-1864**_

"_**And whosoever liveth and **_

_**believeth in me shall never die."**_

_** John 11:26**_

"But, as far as the world knows," he continued, "they aren't. It's the perfect place to bury a body that we don't want anyone to find."

Elena nodded, then looked over to Jeremy, Caroline and Bonnie.

There was a moment of silence among the group before Stefan spoke.

"Would someone like to say a few words?" he asked softly, stepping away from the vault

Elena opened her mouth, but nothing came out…she found herself too overwhelmed with emotion.

Suddenly, Damon stepped forward and did the last thing anyone expected him to do.

With his hand, he brushed the stone face of one of the nearby vaults gently, then came forward toward Matt's final resting spot and starting reciting the 23rd Psalm.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul."

Soon, Stefan stepped forward and put his arm around his brother, wiping away the tear that now came to his eye.

"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake," Stefan said, taking over the psalm from his brother, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies," they continued together, "thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

"Amen." They all said together when the brothers had finished

"He was a good friend," Jeremy said softly

"Him, we liked..." Damon smiled

"Him, we _loved_..." Caroline said, her lip trembling

"He was the best of all of us," Stefan added in a solemn voice

Elena took a deep breath as she stepped forward and silently laid the flowers in her hand at the foot of the vault that now held Matt Donovan's body.

No words could expressed how she felt.

She wasn't even going to try.

And as she stepped back, Elena saw Stefan and Damon huddled together near the stone Damon had brushed with his hand earlier.

Stefan said a few muttered words to Damon and to Elena's surprise, Damon nodded then embraced his brother.

The stone read:

_**Lucianna Maddelena Caldente Salvatore **_

_**1820-1846**_

_**Beloved Wife and Mother**_

_**Psalm 23  
**_


	39. Chapter 39

_**((Oh my! Hang on to your socks Elejah fans! I've been working up to this and I hope you like how this is going to end! **__**Takk for at du**__**flotte**__**lesere**__**og anmeldere**__**!))**_

"Just a little further…" Klaus said in Caroline's ear as they walked through Stephens woods.

He had intercepted her after their respective funerals when they had returned to the Salvatore Mansion and taken her hand gently without a word before coming behind her and covering her eyes with long and slender, but strong hands.

"You said that like a million steps ago!" Caroline chuckled, bringing her hands up to his, "Can I look yet?"

"No!" Klaus retorted with a smile, "Patience is a virtue."

Finally, they came to a halt and he slowly removed his hands and she opened her eyes.

She gasped and he smiled, standing next to her as they looked out onto the collection of waterfalls that spilled into the quarry below from a beautiful meadow spot that he had circled with lit candles.

"It's beautiful…" she said, still awestruck

"It was my favorite spot when I was a boy," Klaus said softly, walking into the lighted circle, close to the cliff's edge, his gaze fixing on the rushing water, "I used to come up here to get away from everything…mostly from my father."

There was a moment of silence then he continued, "The only other person I've ever confided in about this spot was Elijah." He turned back to face her, "And now… you."

Caroline smiled as Klaus held out his hand to her and she stepped forward into the circle of light, taking it.

"Your secret is safe with me." Caroline whispered, her grip tightening on his hand and as she looked up at his face, noticed a single tear come down his face in the candlelight.

"I know," he replied, running the index finger of his free hand along her jawline and Caroline stepped closer, wiping the tear from his cheek with her free hand before their lips collided softly.

# # # # # # #

"So, what now?" Rebekah asked, laying back on the leather couch in the back parlor of the Mikaelson Mansion, her legs crossing over Misha's lap where he sat at the end of the sofa, and her gaze turning to Kol as he plopped down in the nearby recliner with a heavy sigh.

"_Now_, I'm going to have a drink…or maybe _twenty_ and go to sleep for a week." He replied closing his eyes

Rebekah smiled

"Great plan! Let's get started, shall we?!" Kaspar called, stepping down the steps from Niklaus' study into the room, carrying four glasses methodically in one hand and three liquor bottles in the other.

"Amen!" Misha said, clapping his hands together as Kaspar handed them each a glass and set two of the bottles on the coffee table, then opened the third and one by one, poured everyone a drink.

"A toast," Kaspar said as he poured his own drink and held it up in the air, "To those we loved, those we lost, and present company…."

Rebekah and Kol nodded solemnly and Misha smiled

Then Kaspar threw back his drink and they all followed

"Alright, now give me about nineteen more where that came from!" Kol chuckled and held out his glass.

"You got it," Kaspar replied, saluting with the bottle before filling Kol's glass again.

" So, where's the rest of our riff-raff?" Misha observed, looking to Rebekah, "They should be here with us, celebrating, mourning...whatever this is."

Rebekah smirked

"Nik is out snogging Caroline somewhere, I'm sure," she replied as she watched Kaspar fill her glass, "Jeremy took Bonnie home to rest, the Salvatore's are coming over here for our little victory party slash wake and Elijah said that he wanted to find Elena."

# # # # # #

Elena sat on the stone vault in the center of the dark mausoleum.

Her only light was a pair of candles Caroline had left on one of the stones nearby and the small flashlight in her hand.

Everyone had already gone back to the house, but she just didn't feel right leaving Matt alone…not yet.

She told Stefan and Damon she would back home later.

And though Stefan protested, Damon only nodded, understanding her wishes and pulled his younger brother out the door with him when Matt's funeral had ended.

It was, now, here in the darkness with her oldest friend…her first love…that she found peace from all the things that seem to be swirling around her since she turned.

Her whole life, he was the one person she could always count on—even after her parents died and they broke up—he was always there for her to be a shoulder to cry on, to give advice, but also to listen.

And she found that wished more than anything that he was there at that very moment to guide her through the emotional turmoil she was now in.

And not just the grief she was experiencing, but the emotions that were coming forth—emotions she couldn't quite make sense of.

It all jumbled in her head at once.

Becoming a vampire had changed_ everything_—and not just that she _had_ become a vampire—but how and _why._

Only she knew the real reason she had turned, forsaking all of the conditions she had told Stefan and Damon about two days ago.

She didn't regret turning, though she wished it hadn't been an option to begin with.

Being a vampire somehow made her feel free, but at the same time conflicted her emotions.

Everything she had once felt so sure of when she was human, now seemed to waver.

She couldn't tell the others about her feelings…they all aseemed to have sides and motives.

The only one who had always stayed impartial through it all had been Matt.

She smiled to herself.

Matt Donovan was indeed the man who couldn't be moved. He did what her Dad always said any decent person would do in life.

He chose where he stood from the very beginning—what he believed—and planted his feet.

Even when he didn't quite understand her actions or the feelings that she confided in him –especially when it came to the Salvatore Brothers—Elena always admired him for that.

"I wish you were here to tell me what to do, Matt…" Elena whispered

She closed her eyes and bit her lip.

It was then that she opened her eyes quickly, her vampire hearing picking up footsteps on the leaves outside the mausoleum.

She turned to look over her shoulder just in time to see the heavy metal door open and Elijah Mikaelson step inside.

# # # # # # #

"Alright…here we go…" Rebekah slurred, before licking the back of the piece of paper Stefan gave her and stuck it to her forehead.

Damon had to chuckle a little when he saw the name Kol had written on the paper: _Jesus Christ_

"Am I a famous person?" Rebekah asked, taking a drink of scotch from her glass

"Most _definitely,_" Kol said with a smirk

Rebekah pursed her lips in thought, then smacked them, looking over to Misha and Kaspar who were hanging on to each other trying desperately not to laugh at the paper on her forehead.

"Hmmm…I sense that this is all somehow, _ironic_…" Rebekah said with a raised eyebrow

"Just a tad…" Stefan said with a wink

"Am I an artist?" Rebekah asked

"You are _very_ talented in creating landscapes… But, no." Damon answered, his glass at his lips

"Am I… a woman?" Rebekah inquired

"Umm…_debatable_…" Kol grinned

"Okay…" Rebekah said, trying to concentrate, looking down into her glass as she took the final swig from the tumbler, "Am I from the ancient world?"

"Yes." Kaspar said, pouring himself a drink from the selection of bottles now on the coffee table.

Rebekah straightened in her chair, proud of her achievement.

"Am I present now?" Rebekah asked, holding out her glass for Kaspar to pour her another drink

"Yes…" Damon smirked as Kaspar handed Rebekah her now full glass, "_Always_…"

"This is _really hard_!" Rebekah suddenly complained, her patience and alcohol induced lack of concentration failing her, "How come Misha got an easy one?"

"You mean Mozart? He was _easy?_" Misha replied

"Well, that was the rumor around Salzburg!" Kol quipped with a smile and they all burst out laughing.

# # # # # #

"Elena," Elijah said with a soft smile as he walked inside, bringing the moonlight with him.

"Elijah," Elena whispered as their eyes locked

Suddenly, a thousand memories rushed past her again—every moment they had shared—just like those moments on the basement stairs before she turned.

They made her skin tingle and a warmth spread through her body unlike she ever felt before.

She sucked in a deep breath as he approached her stealthily, finally coming to sit beside her on the stone vault.

"I'm sorry," he said, his face mirroring her sadness, "About Matt."

Elena nodded, her lip trembling

"I _miss him_…" she finally whimpered, her face crumbling as Elijah wrapped an arm around her and brought her to his chest.

"I know…" he whispered

"Stefan and Damon said that he sacrificed himself to save us," Elena said softly against the original's shirt, a little confused, "That he let Kaspar take his life to resurrect Klaus and keep his entire line of vampires, including us, from dying."

"And you find this martyrdom startling?" Elijah asked

"What do you mean?" Elena sniffed, pulling back to face him

"Elena, you never think twice about sacrificing yourself when those you care for are in danger, why would you question why Matt would try to do the same for you—_all _of you?"

Elena thought about this for a moment, then nodded

"You should know…" Elijah said, trying to meet her gaze, "That his spirit came to me after we sent my Mother back. He wanted me to tell you that he was alright…at rest…and that he didn't regret his decision."

Elena closed her eyes, a sad smile crossing her face as she opened them again and looked over at the vault that now held Matt Donovan's body.

"That sounds like Matt," she whispered

There was a moment of silence, then she turned back to the original

"There is something I don't understand... The spirits came from the talismans we put around your neck, right?"

Elijah nodded

"Why did Matt's spirit appear with all the of the others?"

Elijah smirked, "You know, I asked him the same question and he told me that in my heart I would know the answer…and now I do."

Elena raised eyebrow

"It was _you,_" he said softly, bringing his hand up to stroke the side of her face gently, "It was my connection with _you_."

Elena smiled, closing her eyes as she felt that same connection now humming between her skin and Elijah's.

And for the first time, she was able to realize how it really made her feel...

_Alive…_.

Her body had changed…she was now a vampire.

Was Liliya right?

Was it alright to change her mind, too?

To admit that there was something else she might want?

_Someone else_ she might want?

And somehow, in that moment, with Elijah's skin touching hers, she decided she wanted to find out.

She would stick with her original plan—the plan that she had decided on two days ago when she told Stefan and Damon she was going to turn-but this would also give her time to figure things out.

She owed herself and Elijah that.

When she opened her eyes, she brought her hand over Elijah's, bringing it into her grasp in her lap as she met his gaze head on.

"Elijah, there is something I want to ask you,"

Elijah's eyes searched hers for a moment with a soft curiosity before he leaned forward.

"Anything…" he whispered with a smile

# # # # # # #

They had finished their fourth round of "Who Am I?" and their sixth bottle of Klaus' best scotch, when the vampire hearing in the house picked up a noise upstairs.

"Ah! Elijah must be home," Kol said, taking another swig of his drink, then licked the back of the next piece of paper and stuck it to his forehead.

It read: _Vlad the Impaler_

"Well, if Elijah's home, that must mean Elena is too." Damon said, looking over to Stefan and slapping his brother's knee, "We should go check on her—take her some blood."

Stefan nodded as he drank the last of his glass and set it down on the table, following Damon as he stood from his place on the couch between Stefan and Rebekah.

"What? You're leaving _now_? Just when it's getting interesting?" Rebekah smiled, pointing at the piece of paper stuck to Kol's forehead.

Damon smirked and shrugged, then put his hand on Rebekah's shoulder and turned to everyone in the room, "Good fight, today, all."

They all nodded solemnly and Kaspar raised his glass in salute, then they watched as Stefan and Damon headed toward the parlor doors.

When they had gone through, Kol spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Alright," he smirked, "Am I…a lunatic?"

"Yes!" Misha, Rebekah and Kaspar all answered in unison

# # # # # #

"Elena!" Damon called as he walked down the upstairs hallway, giving a quick knock on her bedroom door before entering, three blood bags in hand, "I thought you might be hungry—"

Suddenly, he stopped and looked around, finding the room empty.

He quickly looked toward the adjoining master bathroom, peeking around to look inside the door.

"Elena?"

Nothing.

Damon furrowed his brow as he backtracked back into the bedroom, noticing that there was an envelope on the pillow of the unmade bed.

Setting the blood bags quickly on the bedside table, he picked it up and noticed that his name was scrawled in Elena's handwriting on the front of the envelope.

Taking a deep breath, he opened it and read the letter inside.

_# # # # # # # _

'_Dear Damon, _

_Somehow, I knew it would be you who would find this. _

_I hope you can forgive me for leaving this letter instead of telling you this all face to face._

_I mentioned before, when I decided to become a vampire, that I had some conditions that I wanted to be met before I turned, but that the final one was more of a request—one that I did not want to reveal until after I had transitioned._

_Well, as it turns out, nothing on my "Bucket List" was completed before I became a vampire out of time restrictions and necessity, but the time has come for me to reveal my the final request I told you and Stefan about.'_

_# # # # # # _

_'Becoming a vampire has been a surreal and profound experience and one I want so badly to do on my own terms and do right._

_ You and Stefan have been my strength through all of this and have a history of giving me total love and protection whenever I need it, but when it comes to being vampires, you both have a history of falling off the wagon more times than staying on. Truth be told, I decided early on, that if and when I turned, I would need to be around someone who could teach me all the things about being a vampire that you both can't.' _

When the fuel gauge clicked, Elijah pulled the fuel pump from the gas tank and hung it back up. Then, after retrieving his receipt, crossed in front of his Mercedes and opened the driver's side door and climbed inside.

He adjusted himself in the leather seat for a moment before turning to face Elena in the passenger seat next to him.

'_So I'm leaving Mystic Falls…with Elijah.'_

"Are you sure about this?" Elijah asked

Elena smiled softly and nodded

"I'm sure," she said in a resolute voice

Elijah took in a breath as he sat back, his eyes studying her for a few moments, still seemingly amazed by her decision.

Then he shook himself out of his trance and nodded to himself

"Alright, then…" he said with a soft smile, turning forward in his seat and bringing his seatbelt across himself before putting the key in the ignition.

'_I know you are probably fuming right now, just as I had guessed you would be when I made this decision two days ago, but Elijah is the only person I have been able to trust, besides the two of you, to get me through this. _

_You see, there has always been this connection between him and me—something I felt from the first moment we met and something that seems to cross both time and space.'_

As Elijah pulled out onto the main highway, Elena turned her head toward original as she rested back on her seat, her eyes roaming over him while he drove…as if seeing him for the first time—his face, his eyes, his mouth, his chin, his muscled chest under the white t-shirt, his strong arms and hands guiding the steering wheel.

'_I always thought of it as a kinship or perhaps even friendship that bound us, but, recently it's grown into more than that. Before I transitioned, everything seemed so clear and I thought that, with time, I would be able to finally make a decision as to where my heart truly lied when it came to you and Stefan. But, now that I'm a vampire and I'm filled with all these new emotions, it seems like everything has changed—like all the cards on the table have been thrown back up in the air again. _

_And right now, I'm not sure when or where they'll land. _

_All I know is that I've felt things—things that I never thought I ever would for Elijah—feelings so intense and so magnified that they almost scare me. _

_I haven't told anyone this, but something clicked inside of me last night when I knew he was in danger. There was a reason I transitioned and you should what it was. _

_It was him. _

_I realize now with absolute clarity, that he was the reason that I took that final step and drank the blood—because I knew I had to do something to help him, save him—because, I couldn't imagine a world without him.' _

Elijah caught Elena looking at him out of the corner of his eyes and turned his head slightly toward her, causing her to immediately give a small smile and shift her eyes shyly forward toward the windshield and the open road laid out in the headlights in front of them as they passed the sign on the side of the highway.

**NOW LEAVING**

** HISTORIC MYSTIC FALLS**

'_I think I could love him, Damon…_

_So, I'm going on this journey not just to come into my own as a vampire, but to sort out my feelings and decide what I want my future to be and who I want it to be with. _

_Before you were anything else to me, you were my friend and I need you to trust me now, Damon, please, as I follow through with this decision._

_I'll call you when I can to let you know I'm safe. _

_Until then, please don't come looking for me._

_Elena'_

_# # # # # _

Damon closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he lowered the letter from eye level.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairway and turned around to see Stefan in the doorway.

"Where's Elena?" Stefan asked, his eyes surveying the room quickly

"Gone," Damon sighed, holding up the letter as he walked over to his brother, "_Long gone_."

Stefan furrowed his eyebrows as he immediately took the letter from Damon's hand and scanned over it quickly.

"She left with _Elijah_?" Stefan asked, immediately raising his eyes from the paper to meet Damon's

"Yep," Damon replied matter-of-factly

Stefan shook his head in disbelief

"Keep reading," Damon said, nodding toward the letter still in his brother's hand, "It gets worse."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked narrowing his eyes

"Well, you know that little love triangle we had going on here with Elena?" Damon said with a small smirk, motioning between himself and where his brother was standing.

Stefan nodded

"Well, thanks to our favorite original," Damon added, "It's now become a square."

_**((Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you've enjoyed this fanfic. That is all for now..Fin..The End. But, never fear, I will be posting a new fanfic soon about Elijah and Elena's adventures as he teaches her how to become a vampire. Road trip, anyone?! :) Stay Tuned))**_


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